Today, while enjoying a sweet cupcake with my son Darius, a thought popped into my head—something I’ve wanted to talk about for a long time: the truth about expired food and how we decide what’s still safe to eat.
The Thin Line Between Being Careful and Wasting Food
“Y’all, we’ve touched on this before,” I told Darius and my audience, “but I’m curious—how do you handle food that’s technically expired? Some folks can eat something weeks past its date and not even blink. Like with canned goods—if it’s just one day past the printed date, do you toss it, or keep it?”
Darius didn’t hesitate: if it’s only a little past the date, he’ll eat it. But when I pushed the question to two weeks past, he quickly switched his stance: “Yeah, I’d throw it out.”
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Understanding Expiration Dates
I explained to him, “If something has a long shelf life—say, canned food—and it ‘expires’ after five years, but you open it five years and two weeks later, I’d probably still eat it. Those dates aren’t always exact science.”
But I also made it clear: “If something says it expires in two days, and you eat it two weeks later? No way, I’m not touching it.”
‘Sell By’ vs. ‘Best By’ – Why It Matters
Darius pointed out, “If it says ‘Sell By’ or ‘Best By,’ that doesn’t mean it’s gone bad—it just means that’s when it’s at peak freshness. You might still be fine a week later.” And he’s right—there’s a difference between those labels and an actual safety date.
The Great Milk Debate
Now, here’s where Darius and I strongly disagree—milk. I don’t play with milk. If it says ‘Best By’ the 1st, then by the 5th, I’m done with it. “Best By” means it starts losing quality after that, and I’m not risking it.
I told him, “You have to smell it. I don’t care if it smells like fresh flowers—you still smell it.”
Last week, while making cornbread, we had this same back-and-forth. Darius kept saying, “Just smell the milk.” I did, and honestly, it had a faint scent—almost like an actual cow—but still seemed okay. Yet, I kept my guard up.
Animal-Based Foods – Not Worth the Risk
When it comes to anything animal-based, I’m extra cautious. I said to him, “I need to know exactly when it turns bad. Because if you mess up with this kind of food, you could seriously damage your stomach—or worse. I’m not trying to land in the hospital over it.”
The truth is, everyone has different comfort levels with expired food. Some are more daring, others more cautious. But my personal rule? With milk and any animal-based products, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
So, here’s my question to you—would you drink milk after the date on the carton? Let me know in the comments, because I really want to hear where you stand.
