how long can you eat food past its expiration date 
here s some advice from the u s department of agriculture the usda also has a chart indicating the shelf life of many food products 10can you eat expired food if it hasn t been opened the use by sell by and best by stamps all suggest an end date for the product in its unopened state most products are good for some time after the dates marked on the package if the package remains unopened whether it s opened or sealed look at it sniff it or taste it before you throw it out in general nonperishable foods like canned goods pasta and rice have a long shelf life and are good well past any expiration dates marked on them meat dairy and eggs are perishable but a sniff test is more reliable than a sell by date the bottom lineexpiration dates are placed on food and prescription items to ensure the benefit and safety of the consumer food expiration dates tend to focus on quality rather than safety whereas expiration dates on prescriptions tend to focus on effectiveness and safety it s always good to check the expiration date for both food and drugs and when in doubt discard if an item doesn t appear safe after its expiration date 