Is It Safe to Eat Food After Its Expired?

I’m always paranoid about using food that’s expired but believe it or not, many foods are actually okay to after their "use by" date has passed by, even meat and milk.

While I personally don’t recommend risking it, food safety experts say you just have to use some common sense and your nose to know what can be used, and what needs to be thrown away.

Here are some expired food guidelines to consider:

• Meat– If you keep your refrigerator between 32 and 34 degrees, your meat will last 50 percent longer.
• Milk– Pasteurized milk also lasts 50 percent longer when stored at a lower temperature.
• Canned goods– If you keep cans in a cool place, they’ll last about seven years.
• Eggs– Place a questionable egg in a bowl of water. If it floats, it's gone bad. If it sinks, it's still edible, even if the package says it expired weeks ago.
• Bread– Keeping bread in the freezer dramatically extends shelf life (this is how I store my bread).
• Lettuce. If your lettuce is wilted but not icky, you can revive it by soaking in ice water for about 10 minutes.
• Pasta. Keep pasta in  a dark, cool place to increase shelf life.

Wanna learn more about food and how to cook up deliciousness?  You might be interested in checking out the Taste of Home Cooking School.