20 Foods You Can Often Eat After Their “Expiration” Date
The word “expiration” can be misleading. In many countries, date labels indicate quality rather than an exact point when food suddenly becomes unsafe. In the U.S., for example, “Best If Used By” generally refers to peak quality, while some foods have more important safety-based instructions.
Here are 20 foods that can often remain usable after a quality date, provided they were stored properly and show no signs of spoilage:
- Dry pasta
- White rice
- Dried beans
- Oatmeal
- Breakfast cereal
- Crackers
- Unopened canned vegetables
- Unopened canned fruit
- Canned soups
- Canned meat
- Peanut butter
- Mustard
- Ketchup
- Unopened baking mixes
- Honey
- Vinegar
- Hard, shelf-stable dry foods
- Dried fruit such as raisins
- Cookies
- Unopened shelf-stable packaged foods
USDA guidance says shelf-stable foods such as unopened canned goods, cereal, pasta, dry beans, mustard, ketchup and peanut butter can remain safe indefinitely when properly stored, although quality can deteriorate over time.
