How to Tell If Expired Food is Still Good to Eat
By Robert H. Cwik
You might wonder why anybody should write about expired food and if it can be still good to eat. The fact is that every now and then in many homes, such food is found, especially during big house cleaning on various occasions. It may have also happened to you. Didn't you want to find out if the food in the can or jar you're holding is still good to eat? Why throw it away if it still can be eaten safely? So, how can you tell if expired food you find in your pantry is still good to eat? Let's have a look at three kinds of food most often found in our pantries: canned food, jarred food, and packaged food.
Canned food usually expires after a year or two after the production date, but these expiry dates are only indicators and the manufacturers guarantee for the quality of the food. In favorable conditions canned food can be good much longer after the expiry date. Why? Simply because of the way of final treatment of the product, i.e. sterilization taking place under pressure and in temperature of at least 117 degrees C/243 degrees F. This way all microorganism get killed, and if no chemical reactions take place in the food, it can stay good for many years (normally, 3 years minimum). The first symptom that something is wrong with the food in the can is bulging caused by gas. Normally both the top and the bottom of the can should be flat or even slightly concave. If any of them is not flat but raised, it means gases formed in the tin and it has to be thrown away. Otherwise, the contents may be still good to eat. When you open the tin, smell the product. If it has no foreign odor, it can be good to eat. Now you should taste it. Take a small amount. If there are no foreign tastes and aftertastes, like metallic or bitter, the food is good to eat and you may use it for your dish.
In case of foods in jars it is even simpler to find out if they are still good to eat. First look at the cap of the jar. Like in the case of canned food, if it is bulging, the food is spoiled and has to be thrown away. But if the cap is flat or even convex, the food may be good to eat. Try to open the jar. If it does not open easily, the food may still be good. Then look well at the contents of the jar. You'll easily spot discoloration, mold or any other fungus building in the food. If so, throw it away, but if the jar is clean, and there is no discoloration of food, it may be good to eat. Open the jar and smell the contents. Like with canned food, any foreign odor means the food is spoiled. Finally, taste the food. And again, no foreign taste or aftertaste means good food, and you can use it for your dish.
As for packaged foods, especially dry ones, like rice, flour, pasta, cereals, there may be a few signs that they are not good any longer, and it sometimes happens also before the expiry date. The most common pest in case of cereals, grains, and grain products is the Indian meal moth. If you spot any, throw the infested food away, and carefully screen other bags. If the grains, pasta, cereals are clean, however, they may be good to eat, even if they expired, but in case of those products expiration usually means deterioration of quality, building up foreign, most commonly bitter, aftertaste, so you will have to taste the food in order to find out if you still can use it for your cooking.
Generally, caution is required when dealing with expired food. If you are not sure if the food is still good or not, throw it away, but if you find it taste and smell fresh, you can still use it in your kitchen.
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How to Tell If Expired Food is Still Good to Eat
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