1. Expiration Dates On Medicine

Making chocolate is a difficult job.

Delicious wheat crackers with half the calories of a Wheat Thin (6oz bag) EXP DATE:JAN 31, 2019. Toasted Wheat Thinables EXPIRATION DATE: JAN 31, 2019. The recall affects Ritz Everything Cracker Sandwiches, Ritz Bits Cheese, Ritz Cheese Cracker Sandwiches, Ritz Bacon Cracker Sandwiches with Cheese, Ritz Whole Wheat Cracker Sandwiches with White Cheddar Cheese, and a few other snack items. The products have expiration dates of January 14, 2019 to April 13, 2019, according to USA Today.

The key is to understand that the expiration date is presented in 'MMDDY' format -- the first two digits represent the month, the next two digits are the day of the month, and the final digit is the year.

Professionals worry about temperatures and storing conditions all the time. Distribution also gives big headaches, and deliveries can become a nightmare.

However, once the product has reached its final destination, there isn’t much more to worry about. The chocolate creations will be able to stay on the shelves for several months and simple precautions will be enough to wish them a long life.

Together with chips and pasta, chocolate is among those foods that take a long time to expire. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last forever.

Even though the chances for leftovers are low, chocolate can be forgotten or misplaced. Consumers may find some old bars in their pantries and wonder if the chocolate is still edible. The desire to challenge the expiration date printed on the packaging is strong, but how far is too far?

Depending on the type of chocolate, the integrity of the package and the kind of storage, there are some general indications to follow.

Dark chocolate is known for lasting longer than milk and white chocolate.

The absence of dairy content makes it less perishable. If unopened and stored properly, dark chocolate lasts 2 years (from the day it was made). If opened, but still stored properly, the rule of thumb is one year.

As for milk and white chocolate bars, the time available is cut in half. One year if unopened and stored properly, and 6-8 months if opened and stored properly.

Consumers can ask directly to the chocolate maker when the chocolate bar was made, so that the calculation becomes an easy task.

What if the printed expiration date has passed?

Consumers should not take the BEST BEFORE date on the packaging too literally.

Manchester’s first bean-to-bar maker Isobel from Dormouse Chocolates has some reassuring news for chocolate lovers.

“We always used 1 year as the guide in the company that I trained with, so I have used that as a starting point for deciding best before dates. I always err on the side of caution, so the best before dates on my bars are probably a lot shorter than other companies.

The BEST BEFORE date indicates when the chocolate should be eaten by to experience the best flavour, but with solid bars of chocolate I always see it as a guide rather than something set in stone. I have eaten bars that are well past their best before dates without noticing much drop in flavour.

Chocolate bars last longer than other foods because there is no water activity in them, which means that there is no environment for bacterial growth. Also the amount of cocoa butter in it (good quality!) has a stabilizing effect on the chocolate.”

The BEST BEFORE indication tells consumers when the chocolate may start losing its flavor, not when it becomes inedible. As mentioned by Isobel, chocolate makers are very cautious with the best before dates. They’d rather indicate a shorter time-frame than a longer one.

It should also be considered that the best before date is not an expiration date.

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Chocolate bars are best eaten as fresh as possible, but they can still be considered edible a few months after the best before date printed on the packaging. Some chocolate professionals also believe that chocolate becomes BETTER as time goes by. Like wine, some new flavors may develop in the chocolate bar with aging.

Chocolate expiration shouldn’t be confused with SUGAR and FAT BLOOM though.

In spite of the unappealing look, chocolate with slightly white or brown splotches on its surface it’s still edible.

Sugar bloom is usually a uniform white coat on the chocolate. The sugar has crystallized. It can occur when water gets in contact with the chocolate, or the chocolate bar is placed in the refrigerator, or it has spent some time in a place with high humidity.

Fat bloom is a lighter color spots on the chocolate. The cocoa butter has separated from the cocoa mass and has risen to the surface. It can occur when the chocolate was not well-tempered, or has been subjected to temperature fluctuations.

Bloomed chocolate might lose its original texture and flavor, but it’s still safe to eat. Not ideal for savoring, it can be used in baking recipes instead. Consumers can compare their bars with pictures of bloomed chocolate on the Internet and cast any doubt.

The best indicators to tell if a chocolate bar has gone bad or not are ODOR and TASTE.

Sniffing the chocolate is the first step. If the nose smells something funky that induces cringing expressions, the chocolate might have gone bad. A taste test to follow casts any doubt. The presence of flavors other than cocoa or any rancid and off tastes are indicators that the chocolate should be discarded.

Just to be safe, chocolate bars are better consumed immediately.

How do YOU tell if chocolate has gone bad?

I did NOT get paid and did NOT receive any kind of favor for writing this article. These are my honest opinions at your service.

To get the most out of an article about expiration I think we need to first discuss expiration. It’s a term that has several meanings in our world today and those meanings will change when we hit TEOTWAWKI.

To make the easiest distinctions between the several types of expiration we must look at the effect they have on the product or the producer. There are different goals when it comes to managing the three distinct types of expiration.

Retail Expiration

To understand this type of expiration you must first understand what goes into creating a product like an Oreo cookie, for example. A product like this is tested and manipulated by food scientists until the product is as near to perfection as possible. Once the size, texture and flavor are mastered, batches are run and packaged.

Nabisco offers a best by date or expiration date for retailers so that these cookies will taste just like they should. They must taste just the same no matter where you buy the package of Oreos. Most retail expiration dates are based on quality and consistency of product.

Of course, there is a little bit of turnover involved these retail expirations. Once things are expired the likelihood that customers will buy them goes away or decreases exponentially. Therefore, retailers are left with nothing to do but purchase or inventory.

These retail expiration dates are stamped on the product.

Related: What Should You Do With Your Canned Foods After the Expiration Date?

Safety Expiration

All foods reach a point where the actual safety of the food comes into question. We do not see this type of an expiration date on the product itself. These are extended dates beyond that which is stamped on the can or package.

These are guidelines that are approved by national food safety governing bodies and are employed by food banks all over the nation. Food banks can be sued so these are legitimate guidelines to use. Most of our expiration will be based on these food safety expiration dates.

Beyond Expiration

You can go even further beyond the safety expiration dates. This is taking matters into your own hands. When you go far beyond safety expiration dates there are several things you can look for to discern the potential for spoilage in that product.

• Smell
• Color
• Look
• Condition of Package (damaged cans, packaging lead to quicker spoilage)

Understanding Canned Goods

The process of canning foods in tin or aluminum cans uses a vacuum seal and a protective layer that keeps the food from direct metal contact. The vacuum seal removes oxygen which is necessary for bacterial growth. If the vacuum seal or the protective layer is compromised the product inside the can will be in jeopardy.

High Acidity Canned Foods – 18 months after printed retail expiration date

• Canned Fruit
• Canned Tomatoes
• Tomato Based Soups or Sauces
• Canned Fruit Juices
• Canned Pasta

Low Acidity – 5 years after printed retail expiration date

• Canned Meats
• Canned Beans
• Canned Vegetables

Boxed Dry – 1 year after retail expiration

• Rice Mixes
• Mac and Cheese
• Grains

Related: How to Keep Grains Edible and Fresh for Over 40 Years With Nitrogen

Bagged Grains and Beans – Indefinite but inspect before cooking and rinse

Cold premade foods – Premade foods will only last 3 days after they expire. In most disaster scenarios refrigeration will be compromised. If that’s the case these foods can only last 4 hours without proper temperature control.

Expiration Dates On Medicine

Dairy – Most dairy can last between 7 and 14 days after the retail expiration

• Yogurt 14 days
• Buttermilk 14 days
• Cottage Cheese 14 days
• Milk – 7 days
• Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla – 7 days
• Aseptic Packaged Milk (shelf stable) – 3 months past best buy date
• Hard Block Cheeses – 6 months

Frozen Meats – 1 year after initial freezing

Medicines – the efficacy of medicines comes in to question after expiration. They will work but the dosing information will not be accurate. Overdose is possible if you are not careful. Read our article on meds and expiration for a deeper dive into this topics.

Health and Beauty

• Bug Spray – 2 years
• Sun Screen – 3 years
• Tooth Brush – 3 months
• Lip Balm – 5 years
• Peroxide – 6 months

Cleaning

• Bleach – 3 months efficacy will be affected for purifying water
• Laundry Detergent – 6 months
• Dish Soap – 1 year
• Baking Soda – Indefinite
• Vinegar – Indefinite

Automotive

• Tire – 10 years
• Air Bags – 10 years
• Childs Car Seat – 6 years
• Break Oil – 3 years
• Motor Oil – Indefinite

Home

• Smoke Alarms – 10 years
• Batteries – 7 years until these batteries fail you or offer much less power than you expect.
• Fire Extinguisher – 3 years
• Surge Protector – 2 years
• Paint – 10 years

Long Term Food Storage – While many companies purport that their food would will last for 25- 30 years, what most companies neglect to inform you of are ideal storage temperatures. To get that long shelf life you want to store the food at 55 degrees. I don’t know many people who are storing food at 55 degrees.

The Truth About Expiration in Survival

These expiration dates are a powerful tool to help you manage your emergency food storage and other resources kept on hand in case of disaster. These guidelines are time tested by food pantries all over the country. When things are going well and haven’t reached a point of desperation I think these safety guidelines work well.

However, in survival there will likely come a time when resources run out and you are forced to eat foods that are far beyond the best buy dates or even the food safety expiration dates. You may come across foods that do not have dates or the dates have been rubbed off. If you are starving this will affect your decision to eat or not eat these foods.

When the condition of a food item comes into question. Be sure that you let the packaging tell you the story. The sturdier the package the better chance you have that the food inside is safe.

Look for undented seals on cans and cans that are not bulging. Look for cans that are free of excessive rust. When you are dealing with other dry packaged foods make sure your packaging is intact. Many of these foods will be fine to eat if they haven’t had visitors (pests) in and out of the package.

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