Fwd: How long does it really take for food to go bad? See, food producers dont have to put any dates at all on their food (unless were talking baby food and formula, in which case, those dates are federally mandated, and you should never serve food past that date). So, while some packages still have an expiration date on them, others have entirely different dates that are there to let you know when food is at its freshest and when stores should get it off the shelf. Were not saying you should eat foods well past their date, but if you know what the dates mean, then you can eat food longer than you maybe thought. Reading dates on a package Image: Giphy While there may be some parts of commercial packaging that are intentionally misleading (like 7UP being "all natural"), dates are straightforward if you know what to look for. Again, the only true expiration date appears on baby food and formula. Just about everything else is a "sell by" date (which tells the store to sell the product by that date so that the product will be at its freshest), "best used by" date (which tells you when to use the product for maximum quality) or "born on" or packaging date (so you know how old your beer… er, food… is). Each of these dates is useful, but rarely does it mean that once the date has past the food is bad. Each food has its own shelf life after that date has past. Eggs Image: Giphy While Americans love to refrigerate their eggs, theyre actually fairly spoil-proof and can sit out for a while before they go bad. WebMd states that, when stored in a cool, dry place, eggs can last up to five weeks before going bad. If youre concerned theyve gone bad, the good news is that the lovely smell of sulfur will give you your first clue. Famous condiments Image: Giphy Surprisingly, mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup can all last a long time unopened and months opened. Who knows? Maybe a jar of mayo you buy today will mature over time and be even better in 10 years? Canned goods Image: Giphy As long as the can isnt dented (which could allow in outside bugs) or bulging (due to bacteria growth), canned goods have a shelf life of at least 18 months. Some inacidic foods can last years with going bad. Milk Image: Giphy Milk is good for about a week after its "sell by" date as long as little chunkies dont form. Meat and fish Image: Giphy Meat spoilage will vary based on type, and quite frankly, its tough to know how long meat has sat on a shelf before sale. Still, for delicate meats like fish and chicken, you should pretty much cook it and serve it in 24 hours. For red meat, you can have a few days to serve it. Of course, meat that smells or that has a funny color is bad no matter how old. Bread Image: Giphy Bread will go "bad" after a day or so, but it is still edible as long as its not growing mold.. Sure, most bread can be used as a hockey puck or baseball bat after a day or two, but you can eat it as long as its not green. But above all else, remember to trust your senses Image: Giphy No matter what we said above, trust your nose, your eyes, your tongue and your gut (both figuratively and literally). If a food looks wrong, has a powerfully bad odor (and isnt blue cheese), or if the texture is wrong, then toss it. Theres no reason to make yourself sick over a bottle of mustard or a piece of meat that turned before its time. More tips on food storage Items that should be refrigerated after openingHow to properly store your spices How to simply store food ift.tt/1y3CejK from weigh loss tips ift.tt/1yStkwB from Blogger ift.tt/1ClIXMA
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 18:48:58 +0000
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