How many times have you opened the refrigerator, picked up a container of yogurt or a carton of eggs, glanced at the date printed on the label, and immediately tossed it in the trash — even though it looked and smelled perfectly fine? If you are like most people, the answer is probably more times than you would like to admit. The truth is that the vast majority of us have been throwing away large amounts of perfectly good, completely safe food for years, simply because we misunderstand what those printed dates actually mean. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, a full 90 percent of Americans misinterpret the dates on food labels and discard food that could still be safely eaten — contributing to billions of dollars in household food waste every single year.
Understanding What Expiration Dates Actually Mean
Before diving into the specific foods you can safely eat past their printed dates, it helps to understand what those dates actually mean — because they are almost certainly not what you think. With the exception of infant formula, there are no federal regulations in the United States requiring expiration dates on food products. The dates you see printed on packages are almost entirely voluntary, and they refer to quality, not safety. Here is what the most common labels actually mean:
- “Best if Used By” or “Best Before”: This is the date by which the manufacturer guarantees the product will be at its peak flavor and quality. The food is almost certainly still safe to eat after this date — it may just not taste quite as fresh
- “Sell By”: This date tells the store how long to keep the product on display shelves for sale purposes. It has nothing to do with whether the food is safe for you to eat at home
- “Use By”: This is the manufacturer’s last recommended date for peak quality. Even after this date, many products remain safe to consume
- “Expiration Date”: This is the one date that most closely relates to actual safety, and it is primarily used for infant formula and baby food — products where precision matters most
The USDA confirms that foods showing no signs of spoilage are generally wholesome and may be safely consumed beyond their labeled dates. Your best tools for determining whether a food is still good are your own senses — look, smell, and taste. Spoiled food will typically show obvious signs: off odors, unusual colors, strange textures, or visible mold.
20 Foods That Are Safe to Eat After the Expiration Date
1. Eggs
Eggs are one of the most commonly discarded foods past their printed date, and also one of the most unnecessarily wasted. Refrigerated eggs can typically be safely consumed for 3 to 5 weeks beyond the carton date. The simplest way to check if an egg is still good is the float test: place it in a bowl of cold water. A fresh egg sinks and lies flat on the bottom. An older but still edible egg stands upright. An egg that floats to the surface should be discarded. Bad eggs also have a distinctly unpleasant sulfur smell that is immediately noticeable when cracked open.
2. Milk
Properly refrigerated milk is generally safe to drink for approximately one week past the printed sell-by date. The microorganisms that naturally develop in milk over time may cause it to taste slightly sour or bitter before it becomes genuinely unsafe. Trust your nose and your taste buds — milk that has turned will smell unmistakably sour and taste noticeably off. As long as it smells fresh and tastes normal, it is safe to use.
3. Yogurt
Yogurt can safely be consumed for 1 to 2 weeks past its printed date when stored properly in the refrigerator. The natural acidity of yogurt acts as a preservative that inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria. A small amount of liquid pooling on top of the yogurt is completely normal — it is simply whey that has separated and can be stirred back in. Yogurt that has gone genuinely bad will develop visible mold and an unpleasant smell that leaves no doubt.
4. Hard Cheeses
Hard cheeses like cheddar, parmesan, gouda, and Swiss are remarkably long-lasting and can often be safely eaten for several weeks to months past their printed dates, provided they have been stored correctly. If a small patch of surface mold develops, simply cut it off with at least an inch of clearance around it — the remaining cheese is perfectly safe. The low moisture content of hard cheese makes it extremely resistant to the growth of harmful bacteria.
5. Canned Goods
This may be the most dramatic example on the entire list. Properly stored canned goods — soups, vegetables, beans, tuna, fruits — can remain safe for 2 to 5 years beyond their printed dates, and in many cases even longer. The USDA confirms that most shelf-stable canned foods are safe indefinitely as long as the can itself is in good condition. Always discard any can that shows bulging, rust, significant denting near the seam, or any sign of leakage — these are signs of potential bacterial contamination. But a perfectly intact can with an expired label on it is almost certainly fine.
