DON’T TOSS IT YET! WHICH FOOD EXPIRATION DATES REALLY MATTER Most of us know that food expiration dates aren’t especially valid and have little to do with safety—but more to do with manufacturers and grocery stores wishing to sell more of their products. I posted four years ago about this practice (Most Food Expiration Dates Are Bogus). Now, I wanted to dig deeper: Which foods truly spoil—and when should we be concerned? A January 24, 2023, New York Times article by J. Kenji López-Alt, titled The Food Expiration Dates You Should Actually Follow, offers valuable guidance. Here are takeaways from...

MOST FOOD EXPIRATION DATES ARE BOGUS I routinely check dates on food packages in my refrigerator or pantry.  And I throw out most items that are more than a week past the “expiration date” on the label.  Perhaps you also follow this practice.  But lately I’ve begun to wonder if I’d actually endanger myself by eating these “out of date” items or if I’m just wasting good food. So I did a bit of reading online and found that the dates on food packages are actually rather bogus. The “expiration dates” are calculated to advantage the food manufacturer or supermarket...