10 foods ok to eat after their sell-by dates
Most people tend to throw away food once it’s reached the date dictated on the packaging but one British man is bucking trends. Dan Cluderay – the owner of popular Approved Food, which sells foods past their sell-by and used-by dates cheaply, explained there were many instances where the dates were unnecessary.
He explains that the public should be aware about the difference between use-by dates (which means it’s not safe to eat food after), sell-by dates (which are used by supermarkets for their own internal purposes) and best before dates (which are about optimum quality and not safety).
Here are ten items that are safe to eat past their sell-by date:
Milk – If it hasn’t gone sour, smells bad or start to curdle, it is fine. Pasteurised milk will keep 50 per cent longer if you store it at a lower temperature too, so store at the back of fridge rather than the door.
Eggs – Eggs can last for three to five weeks but have to be stored at a temperature below 5 degrees, as that prevents potential growth of Salmonella enteritidis.
Sugary foods – Foods like jams or honey with a large amount of sugar are safe to be consumed.
German sauerkraut and Korean kimchi – These preserved foods that have been salted, cured or dried are safe.
Chips – While they may have gone soft, all that salt helps to preserve them.
Biscuits – They are highly processed and therefore can be consumed long after their sell-by date. If they taste soft pop them in the oven to get them crunchy again.
Dry pasta – Dry goods such as uncooked pasta, if stored in airtight containers, can keep indefinitely
Bread – When kept in the freezer, it will last for ages. If it’s stale you can heat it up in the oven and simply cut out the mouldy bits if you spot any.
Canned foods – You can extend the life of canned good by storing them in a cool and dark area.
Packaged salad – If salad leaves haven’t moulded (wilted and mouldy are different) revive them with ice-cold water
Chocolate – All that sugar helps preserve chocolate.
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