May 20, 2009 10:44 pm US/Eastern
Some Products Are Good Long After Expiration Dates
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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It may not be necessary to trash all products that have expired dates.
WBZ
Many of the products we use every day -- food, medicine, cosmetics -- have some sort of expiration date. But just because the date has gone by doesn't necessarily mean you have to throw it out.
Dates on dairy and meat products are fairly self-explanatory, and even without a date, your nose would tell you when it's time to toss it.
But when it comes to pantry items, those dates can be a little more confusing.
"I find they are often difficult to find, difficult to read, not very clear for the average consumer," said Melanie Pearsall, a nutritionist at Mass General Clinic in Revere.
While Massachusetts law requires some sort of expiration date on food items; it also allows stores to sell some items past that date.
Why?
Pearsall says it's because for pantry items the dates have little to do with safety.
"It's just a quality indicator," she explained.
'BEST BEFORE' EXPIRATION DATE
Dates like "best before" suggest how long the manufacturer thinks the food will remain at peak quality. Pearsall says a few weeks, even months, won't make much difference for most of the shelf-stable items in our pantry.
Pearsall picked up a box of brown rice that expired back in March.
"This is just expired. I wouldn't worry about this at all," she said.
What about a box of instant oatmeal that's four years past the 'Best Before' date?
"I just think that's too long," Pearsall said.
We compared the old oatmeal with a fresh box and there was a noticeable difference. The little bits of apple in the old oatmeal had turned brown.
"Six, eight months after, I think that's probably a reasonable time frame…much longer, I think you're really pushing the envelope," she said.
She said it probably won't make you sick, but the taste and nutritional value could be compromised.
EXACT EXPIRATION DATES
If the product actually uses the word, or abbreviation of the word expired, then don't eat it after the date. Pearsall says there's probably something in it that makes it more perishable.
WHAT ABOUT MEDICINE?
Should you take cough syrup or a pain reliever that's expired?
The FDA studied 100 drugs stockpiled by the military and found 90 percent of them, both prescription and over-the-counter, were safe years after the expiration date. Important exceptions include liquid antibiotics and insulin.
The bottom line: if you have a headache and your bottle of ibuprofen is expired, the worst cast scenario is that it may not work as well, but it won't hurt you. If you take a prescription that's critical to your health, you might want to check with your doctor or pharmacist.
WHAT ABOUT SUNSCREEN?
Experts say sunscreen does start to become less effective after about three years, so keep an eye on the date when you pull last year's bottle out of your beach bag.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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