I just came across an article entitled 'Five expired foods you can still eat'. I slowly reminisced over my warm plain bagel with cream cheese and a drizzle of honey I ate the other night. This is something I don't usually do but the bagel had not a mold in site. I thought what a complete waste it would be to throw away four perfectly looking bagels so instead I ate them. Now some of you may think eww, 'how can you eat them past the expiry date', but trust me when I say it tasted as it always did, not at all stale. Maybe they had the wrong date on them? Well one can dream.
In the UK, I do believe that so much food is wasted in a year from fruit and veg that don't 'grow properly' to supermarkets throwing away so much every day. Having worked in a supermarket, I have seen so much food hit the big red bin and I must say it's a little disturbing when so many people are hungry across the world. According to Wrap (Waste & Resources Action Programme) we throw away 24 million slices of bread a year. Now, that's something to ponder on.
I think its so important to reduce waste and there are extremely simple ways of doing this i.e. freezing products such as bread on the day of purchase. Not only will this save you from wasting money but produce such as bread last much longer.
Five expired foods you can still eat.:
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| Image taken from BBC website |
- Tortilla Chips - Supposedly won't make you sick after a month although they may be stale. However, putting them in the oven and adding a little oil will re-crisp them getting rid of the stale taste. Storing them in a sealed container will also extend their life by keeping the moisture out.
- Chocolate - A white coating known as 'bloom' usually appears' making them unattractive to the eye when chocolate is exposed to air. This happens when some of the crystalline melts and rises to the top. This is fine! It's not mold and it's fine to eat.
- Eggs - I have personally ate eggs past the expiry date and they've been fine. It is said that eggs can in fact last 3-5 weeks. But they should be kept at a temperature below 5C to prevent the potential growth of Salmonella.
- Milk - 'Will smell or taste bad long before it makes you sick' says Labuza. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to pass on this one. One thing I wont be trying is expired milk. My senses are too alert to handle the smell or taste of bad food. My feelings aside, milk comes in at number 4. If you've tried this please share your views.
- Yogurt - Is said to last beyond six weeks, one person said they often scraped off the mold and no problem with the rest .
If you have any particular foods that you eat past the expiry date why not share your views.
For more information on edible expired food checkout
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-24305902
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-29701768?ocid=socialflow_facebook
