Dreaded dates
Have you ever wondered what happens to expired food? Almost every food item has an expiration date, a "best by" date or a "sell by" date as a guide for consumers. The premise is that food items that have reached these dates are no longer fit for human consumption, and must therefore be taken out of the shelves of supermarkets and the like. In the Philippines, the law requires that food items that have reached these dates must no longer be displayed. There is no law that covers what happens afterwards.
Which is why we see items selling on the streets for less than half of their original supermarket prices. Imported chocolates and snacks, canned goods and the like. A close inspection of the items reveal that their dates have been removed or covered up. The items are sold openly, with no apparent fear of being confiscated or cited by government officials. But the question is, are they still safe to be consumed?
There is a general consensus that foods past their expiration dates or whatever date is printed on them are still safe to eat. What must be understood is how long do these foods really last. WebMD tackles this particular subject and has a list of the food and their true shelf lives. Milk, for example, is still good a week after the "dates". Eggs are good 3-5 weeks after you bring them home from the grocery. Most canned goods, for as long as they are kept in a dark, dry place and are not dented will last 18 months or even more. Of course, bulging cans must be discarded regardless of the date. It indicates the growth of very harmful bacteria inside. No attempt must be made to even open them for inspection. Processed meats and cheeses are easy to determine if they are spoiled or not. And dehydrated, vacuum-packed foods last the longest as long as they remain unopened. I once watched a program on National Geographic where a family in the UK lived solely on discarded, expired food.
According to WebMD, the dates printed on food items merely suggest the optimal time to buy and consume a particular food item. In other words, foods beyond these dates are still safe to eat, but may have varying changes in taste or even appearance. But it doesn't necessarily equate with being unsafe. It's just that we have all been conditioned by these dates that we shun away from foods that have crossed over, so to speak.
I will voice concern over the expired food items being sold on the streets. The shelf lives mentioned at WebMD gave the condition that these items be stored in dark, dry and cool places. The streets of Metro Manila are far from being dark, dry and cool. The food items are exposed to the humidity and heat that is the Philippine weather. So the process of spoilage is actually accelerated. Which is why I would not recommend buying these items, even if the prices are very tempting. Who wouldn't want to buy imported chocolates and canned goods at half price? And we still have to go beyond that conditioning in our brains regarding expired foods. Something a lot easier said than done. We can rest on the assurance that if we inadvertently consume something beyond the dreaded dates, we will survive.
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