How Long Can Cheese Last After Best Before Date
Every year in the UK, 7.2million tonnes of food and drink are thrown out, many of which could still be eaten.
Much of the waste comes from our attitude to expiration dates. Some, such as best before dates, are not a hard and fast rule. Many foods can be eaten past this date, although they might not taste as nice as the day they were made.
Below we have explained the difference between the confusing use by and best before labels, as well as rounded up foods you can safely eat after their expiration dates.
Know the difference between expiration labels
The first step to deciding what to throw out and what to keep is deciphering the expiration label. Use by and best before dates are not interchangeable.
Use by
Use by dates are normally on foods that go bad quickly, such as meat and ready-prepared salads, according to the NHS.
You should not eat any foods after their use by date even if it still appears safe to eat. You could get food poisoning if you do.
Once these foods are opened, you should also follow all instructions, such as "eat within three days of opening" and "refrigerate".
Some food labels may say the product can be frozen and then eaten beyond the use by date.
Best before
Best before dates are much less strict because they outline the quality of the food and not the safety.
They are usually on frozen and dried foods.
You can eat the food after the date, but it might not taste as fresh.
Eggs
Eggs have a shelf life of 28 days from the date they are laid to the best before date, according to the NHS.
The law dictates that the final consumer must get the eggs within 21 days from the time they have been laid. This is the sell by date.
It is important to keep them at a temperature below five degrees Celsius (41F), to prevent the growth of salmonella enteritidis.
Still unsure if they are safe to eat?
Cosmopolitan magazine suggest: "One way to check if your eggs are safe to eat is by putting them in a jug of cold water.
"If they sink, they're fresh; if they don't, throw them away.
"If they sit on the bottom but point upwards, they're on the turn."
Chocolate
Rejoice, chocolate-lovers.
If you've ever found an old, forgotten bar hidden somewhere, ripped off its wrapper excitedly, only to see those white spots or streaks, you can relax, the Birmingham Mail has reported.
They are not mould and instead called 'chocolate bloom' either from fat or sugar, according to Kitchn.
If the chocolate gets too warm, the cocoa butter will melt and resolidify, leaving the marks behind. If the treat was stored in a damp area, moisture will collect on the surface and draw out the sugar, leaving a grit of sugar crystals behind.
The bloom should not affect the flavour and is safe to eat.
Cheese
While eating soft cheeses such as Camembert after their use by date is asking for trouble, hard cheeses like cheddar and Parmesan can be eaten after their best before dates.
Yes, even if they have grown mould, the inside is still safe to eat - sometimes for up to six weeks. Just make sure you cut off the mould before you break out the cheese board.
Many people are unsure what can and cannot be frozen - but you needn't worry.
You can freeze the vast majority of things in your cupboard and fridge, according to experts.
For instance, you could grate your cheese when you buy it and put the shavings in the freezer.
This way, your cheese lasts longer and can still be used in cooking.
Pasta
Dry pasta has a one to two-year shelf life but it can be eaten much longer than that because it doesn't have any water in it, according to Bustle.
Make sure you store it in a cool, dry place and you can enjoy a spaghetti bolognese for years to come.
Fresh pasta contains water so it will spoil faster. It can still last about two to three weeks past its expiration date. Just make sure it doesn't give off an odor.
Yoghurt
Yoghurt does not go off as quickly as most people think. It can usually last about one to three weeks beyond the use by date, EatByDate.com reports. This extended life depends on how it was stored and its preparation method.
As with all foods, make sure it does not have a smell and check it for mould.
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How Long Can Cheese Last After Best Before Date
Source: https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/expiration-date-best-before-food-13885673#:~:text=Cheese!-,Cheese,for%20up%20to%20six%20weeks.