9 Foods You Can Eat Past Their Expiration Date

By Jess Catcher Updated: May 6, 2019

Have you ever looked at something expired in your fridge and wondered if it was really too old to eat? It can be tricky to know just how much you can trust those sell by, expiration, and best by dates. Are they suggestions or hard nos? Turns out, you’re probably tossing out some perfectly good food.

Obviously, it’s better to be safe than sorry. If something smells or looks funky, you should say goodbye to it. But there are a handful of items that can last after their so-called expiration dates. The Eat By Date website has a meticulous database of information on pretty much any food or drink you might have in your home. We took a look at some of the most common things people get rid of before they’ve gone bad, and found out how long they actually last.

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Take a look at which items in your kitchen can probably last longer than their “expiration” date.

Eggs

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The date on egg cartons is more for the amount of time it's safe for stores to keep them on their shelves than in your fridge. Usually, eggs can last three to five weeks past that stamped date.

Check out our guides for using up all your eggs before they go bad and how to test whether your eggs have really expired or not.
Milk

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Milk is pretty obvious when it's gone past it's expiration date, but that can be about seven days longer than what it actually says on the jug — if it's properly stored in your chilly fridge, of course.
Wine

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We've all heard the expression that wine gets better with age, but for some reason they still have expiration dates. That said, unopened white wine can potentially last about one or two years past its "sell by" date. Unopened red wine can last a little longer, up to three years.

If it's opened, however, white wine can only last a few extra days while reds will still be fine for a couple weeks.
Peanut Butter

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This pantry staple is known for its longevity. If unopened, it can likely last about a year before going off. Organic and opened peanut butters will only last about three to six months, though.
Cocoa Powder

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The experts at Cooking Illustrated decided to experiment with cocoa powder that had been sitting around for six years. The only issue they found was a slightly milder flavor, so your cocoa powder is probably fine for at least that long. This is a little longer than a bar of chocolate in case you were wondering "Does chocolate go bad?"
Ketchup and Mustard

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Both of these condiments can last about two years past their expiration date if unopened in the pantry, and about a year after that when opened and stored in the fridge.
Frozen Fruits and Veggies

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Unless you notice significant freezer burn on any of the fruits or veggies you've had stored and unopened for eight to 10 months past the sell by date, you should still be fine. Opened bags will last a bit less.
Bread

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This is perhaps the easiest food to know whether or not it's gone past its prime. Basically, if you don't see any mold growing on your bread, it's fine to eat.
Pasta

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Fresh pasta will only last about four to five days past its "best" date, so be careful to avoid food poisoning. Dry pasta, on the other hand, can usually go for another year or two past its sell date.

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