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Expiration date question: "Good thing I read the labels and dates before I opened or ate anything. I avoided potential food poisoning and/or a trip to urgent care by paying attention." (hexbear.net)

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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What do you think the percentage is of Americans who throws out good food (even junk food) based on the expiration date? I mean - they do so not because the food might be stale but because they believe it suddenly became possibly toxic to eat.
What's the percentage for non-food stuff like soap? The other day I noticed my liquid hand soap has an expiration date for whatever reason. I better hurry up - I only have two years left of it being safe.

I started thinking about it after I read this...

"Good thing I read the labels and dates before I opened or ate anything. I avoided potential food poisoning and/or a trip to urgent care by paying attention."

It's from an Amazon review. After they checked the label - they learned the package was delivered with an expiration date two weeks past. They are talking about a Ruffles potato chip variety pack.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Canned food is good for at least months after the expiration date. But even if it isn't expired, I check if the can is dented before I buy it. And if I drop it from my pantry and dent it I'll use it right away.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I googled about dented cans because I wanted to know myself how dangerous the food could be. I found very vague answers. This super-short page at the USDA is typical. They hedged. Note the "should". At least they defined the difference between a small dent and deeply dented can.

Is it safe to use food from dented cans?

Mar 24, 2023

If a can containing food has a small dent, but is otherwise in good shape, the food should be safe to eat. Discard deeply dented cans. A deep dent is one that you can lay your finger into. Deep dents often have sharp points. A sharp dent on either the top or side seam can damage the seam and allow bacteria to enter the can. Discard any can with a deep dent on any seam.

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Rant - the CDC was crap. They have stuff about home canning but ordinary cans. All I could find was this and it sounds like company-approved PR...

Commercially canned foods are much less likely to be a source of botulism because modern commercial canning processes kill C. botulinum spores.

I couldn't find a single mention about dented commercially canned foods. What a garbage agency it is!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Thanks for looking up that info, even if the canned foods industry has ruined the ability of the FDA to do its job.

:you-had-one-job:

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

:you-had-one-job:

Exactly.

I wonder how many Americans emailed, texted, and even called them on the phone asking where the "dented can" page was.