How long can you keep food after its expiry date?

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Do you sometimes stock up on more food than you actually need? Or does the food in your fridge threaten to rot because of an impromptu evening out or a takeaway? No worries, we'll tell you how long you can keep your food to avoid overconsumption and waste!

The difference between the 'Best before' and 'Use by' date 🤷

The shelf life of products can be indicated by the 'Best before' and 'Use by' date.     Although there is a difference between these two labels, remember they always apply to unopened packaging only.

À consommer de préférence avant le ✔️

Products marked with 'Best before' can be consumed without risk to your health after the printed date. If the day, month and year are included in the 'Best before' date, you still have three months after this date to consume the product. If only the month and year are indicated, you have up to 18 months after the date to consume the product. But what if only the year is shown on the packaging?  Then you can still use the product, even beyond 18 months past the date. 

But don't overdo it, because the quality of the product will gradually deteriorate. Coffee, for example, will lose its flavour, or dry products such as crisps and biscuits will become less crispy

Use by 🙅🏾‍♂️

 

 

The 'use by' date applies to most products that must be stored in the refrigerator, such as fresh fish, fresh meat or cold cuts and cheeses. Once that date has passed, you can no longer freeze these products. Be especially careful with eggs, minced meat and cheese.

Eggs 🍳

Eggs stored in the fridge can be eaten up to 28 days after the date printed on the shell. If in doubt, do the water test. Place the eggs in a large bowl of water and see if they rise to the surface. If they float, it's a bad sign and it's best to throw them away. If they rise only slightly, you can still eat them but don't wait too long. A home-made egg dish should not be kept in the refrigerator for more than two days.

Minced meat 🐷

 

For minced meat, it all depends on the packaging. Minced meat bought from the butcher and wrapped in paper should be eaten immediately.  Meat in airtight packaging bought from the supermarket, for example, can be stored for longer. As a rule, the product is still edible up to a week after the date on the packaging, as long as you have not opened it. 

Cheese 🧀

There is relatively little health risk in eating cheese after its expiry date. However, be careful with unpasteurised fresh cheese.

The golden rules 👊

First of all, trust your senses and do the test: does the product still look fresh? Has the smell changed? Taste a small piece to check if it is still edible before you start cooking. When in doubt, there is only one golden rule: don't eat it! Likewise, if your cans are rusty or dented, do not eat their contents.

Drinks, frozen foods and dry foods stay fresh for quite a long time. Finally, some products retain their quality and flavour for several years, so you can easily store them for longer periods of time. 

These include salt, sugar, honey, starch, white vinegar, white rice, pasta and pulses.

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