In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleExpiration Date RequirementsDifferent Dates and MeaningsFoods Lasting Beyond ExpirationNutrient Losses Before ExpirationsFood Safety

In This ArticleView All

View All

In This Article

Expiration Date Requirements

Different Dates and Meanings

Foods Lasting Beyond Expiration

Nutrient Losses Before Expirations

Food Safety

Some people have a fear of snakes. Others are afraid of heights. For me, it’s spoiled food. I’m not claiming that this fear of mine is at all rational, but do I really need to be concerned?

Here are five facts about expiration dates that may surprise you:

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I assumed that there was a regulatory process involved with expiration dates—hard and fast rules. This is not the case. According to theUSDA, the federal government does not require expiration dates on food. Although some states do require them: There are dating regulations when it comes to infant formula.

2. Different Dates Have Different Meanings

3. How Long Will My Food Last If It Goes past the Expiration Date?

4. Could Food Lose Its Nutritional Value Before It’s Expired?

That depends on the food. Take orange juice, for example. One cup of orange juice can offer a full day’s dose of vitamin C. But after it’s been open for a week, it loses the antioxidant benefits from exposure to air and light. (And that could happen even before it reaches its expiration date.)

Some foods do lose nutrients when exposed to oxygen in the air, and your food may lose a little more nutrition when it’s cooked. Aim to eat your fresh fruits and vegetables soon after purchasing them, but don’t sweat nutrient losses too much.

5. Is Food Safe After It Expires?

Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter for longer than 2 hours because, while the center of the food may remain frozen, the outer surface may enter the Danger Zone, the range of temperatures between 40°F and 140°F, in which bacteria multiply rapidly. For this same reason, you should never eat meat, poultry, eggs or sliced fresh fruits and vegetables that have been left out for more than 2 hours (1 hour in temperatures hotter than 90°F). But this could happen to any food and is not related to expiration dates.

The Bottom Line

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