So you went panic buying. Now food is reaching its use-by date. Is it safe to eat? What expiration dates actually mean

Experts say ‘best by’, ‘use by’ and ‘sell by’ labels are more about food freshness and not so much about safety

From pasta and canned soup to cereal and oils, we find out how long a range of food will last in your larder – perfect for panic buyers who went a bit too far

Reading Time:3 minutes

Don’t throw your expired goods away just yet. Experts say expiration date labels are more about freshness and not so much about safety – your eggs, pasta or soup are probably safe to eat. Photo: Photothek via Getty Images

Published: 3:00pm, 21 Apr 2020Updated: 3:36pm, 21 Apr 2020

Don’t toss out that remaining egg, bottle of pasteurised milk or can of peas just because the date on the label has expired. They are probably safe to be consumed.

Shoppers have been panic buying canned vegetables and beans, fresh meats, flour, and eggs during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the stockpiling has left them with another kind of a concern.

How soon should they consume the foods? Do they strictly abide by the “best by”, “use by” or “sell by” dates, or use them sometime later? And for how long can they be kept?

According to three experts, the dates are guidelines for taste and quality, not safety.

Expiration dates on some food products are guidelines for taste and quality, and not safety. Photo: Getty Images

While stores should be mindful of dates, it does not mean that the items are not acceptable for purchase, says Caroline Passerrello, an instructor at the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition in the United States.

“Best by” or “use by” date labels are more about the freshness and not so much about the safety of the content, according to Laura Frost, who teaches microbiology, immunology and general biology at Point Park University in Pittsburgh. “It is the manufacturer’s best guess at which date the food will be at its freshest.”