Every year thousands of euros worth of food are thrown away. Most consumers use the food expiration dates as an indicator of their security, but this is not always the case.
According to the American National Defense Service, expiration dates do not indicate when food is safe to eat or not, it is simply a prediction of the time that a product will be on sale.
And other variations such as “best before” usually mean the date until which the producer believes that the product will maintain its freshness. But not that from then on it becomes a waste.
When does food expire and how long does it really last?
A good rule of thumb may be to pay attention to the date you buy or open the food, rather than the date on the packaging.
Here you can see the actual expiration dates of some of the foods we consume the most.
Uncooked poultry
Raw chicken can be kept in the fridge for one to two days after purchasing it. If you freeze it, it can last up to nine months.
Eggs
Eggs can be kept for 3-5 weeks from when you buy them. If you freeze them, they can last up to a year.
Once you open a jar of peanut butter, you can store it in the pantry for 3-4 months without a problem.
Chocolate
Keeping the chocolate in the original packaging can last at room temperature between 6 and 9 months. If you freeze it, it can last up to a year and a half.
Milk
Milk is a product that usually lasts about a week beyond the expiration date on the package. But to always be on the safe side, smell it before trying it. If it smells sour or has a whitish color, throw it away.
Yogurt
If you buy commercially packaged yogurt, it typically lasts up to two weeks after the expiration date on the package. If you freeze it, it can last up to a month or two more.
Fish
If the salmon is not open it lasts a day or two after you buy it. But if you freeze it the same day you buy it, you can take advantage of it for two or three more months while preserving all its flavor.
Came
Once you remove the cork from a bottle of wine, whether white or red, you can keep it in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. The closed bottle can last up to 3 years.
Honey
Honey never expires. This natural sweetener can last you a lifetime.
By following these tips you will be able to make better use of food and save a lot of money when buying products that are still in good condition even after the expiration date has passed.
