10 Foods You Can Still Eat Safely Past the Due Date

You know that feeling you get when you see that food item you bought with your hard earn money lying there and you remember it’s been there for quite a long time. The next thing that comes to mind is the expiration date. In tough times, it’s difficult to justify throwing away food that might still be worth eating—despite the “best before” date on the package.

Raw chicken that’s expired is one thing, but that jar of mayonnaise that’s a week past due, would you chance it?

The good news is that many products can be consumed safely even after their expiry date. Plus, packaged goods such as cereal, potato chips, soft drinks and granola bars are durable and quite edible past their shelf-life dates…

1. Mayonnaise

That jar of store-bought mayonnaise often gets lost for months in the back of your fridge. As long as it’s been stored according to the temperature instructions, it should be good 3 to 4 months after the expiry date.

2. Hard Cheeses

Take cheddar cheese for instance. You might buy it for a party only to realize you won’t finish it all before the best before date, and even if it’s been opened, it should be safe to consume for up to 4 weeks.

3. Potato Chips

Other than losing their crispiness, potato chips are highly processed so you can safely consume them months following expiry.

4. Beef

As long as you cook that beef thoroughly when you use it, you can stretch the best before date for up to 5 days.

5. Pork

The same goes for pork roasts that are cooked completely. They are safe to eat up to three days past the best before date.

6.  Butter

Dairy products, like butter, are also difficult to consume entirely before the due date. However, you can store butter in the freezer and thaw it when you need to use it for a few additional months.

7. Cereal

Most boxed cereals will just get stale if you leave them open to air and consume past the due date. However, if you store them properly, even if opened, you can safely consume for months after they expire.

8. Chicken

Although we wouldn’t recommend eating chicken more than a few days past the best before date, you can safely freeze a package of chicken breasts, thaw and cook thoroughly, up to a year.

9. Soft Drinks

Diet soda lasts up to 4 months past its due date before the artificial sweeteners break down—while regular soda can safely last up to 9 months.

10. Mustard

Bottled mustard has an extremely lengthy shelf life. Even when opened and stored in the refrigerator, it can last up to 1 year.

Next time I will post 10 Foods Risky to Eat Past their Due Date.