WASHINGTON — We’ve all done it. Sometimes, we wish we hadn’t: the “smell test” with food in our fridge and pantry.
Shoppers may be considering buying less food to ensure certain items don’t go bad before they get a chance to eat it.
One shopper told KIRO 7 she has been going to the grocery store more frequently so she doesn’t stock up and let food go to waste.
“It keeps me from stocking up, for milk anyway. I only buy two at a time, even though we’ll go through that in less than a week. It makes me come back to the store more often,” said Becca Knox.
But, before you restock the fridge or pantry, you should be aware of the “Sell By,” “Use By,” and “Best By” expiration dates.
“Sell By,” that’s how long the product can stay on store shelves. “Use By” refers to a product’s peak quality date. And, “Best By,” that’s when the product will taste its best.
But dietitian and professor at the University of Washington Anne Lund says that these dates are just one part of the puzzle to take into consideration.
“It’s one piece of information there. Because food before or after that date could spoil because it comes down to how the food was handled,” Lund said. “So, if you have something at a store and it needs to be pulled by a certain point, that’s for the store to go about and do.”
That said, some online resources show that some of your favorite foods won’t make it a week in the fridge past the expiration date.
Uncooked meat only lasts three to five days. Same for eggs. Chicken? That goes bad even faster, just two days after expiration.
Meanwhile, lettuce can last a week. And, chocolate…nearly a year!
We reached out to USDA, who told us that, except for infant formula, there’s no federal requirement that food be labeled with a date.
“There are no uniform or universally accepted descriptions used on food labels for open dating in the United States,” a spokesperson writes.
Meanwhile, consumer food safety specialist at Washington State University Stephanie Smith estimates that approximately 20% of your groceries go in the trash because they’re expired or have gone bad.
Especially if your fridge isn’t set to the recommended temperature, 40 degrees or lower, creating the opportunity for bacteria to form.
“If you show symptoms of Listeria, especially invasive Listeria infection, then the mortality rate is 20-30 percent. So, it’s really scary,” Smith said. “We want to balance not wasting food with ensuring that you’re also eating safe food.”
Of course, no one wants to throw their money (or food) away.
That includes Shayla Brown, who says she avoids some products (like bread and dairy) that are too close to the expiration date. For other items, she’ll go out of her way to find something fresh.
“I’ve been to probably three different stores to purchase my favorite salad. But, the expiration date doesn’t always match the produce and what it looks like,” Brown said.
“So, I’m definitely paying attention to the expiration date, what the shelf life is, and how it looks to the consumer,” she continued.
Another option is freezing your food so it lasts a little longer. However, expiration dates aside, experts also suggest finishing certain items, like produce, within three to five days of buying and opening it.
Other items, like canned goods, have a longer shelf life.
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