- Most foods are safe well beyond their use by, best by and sell by dates.
- After cutting away mold, hard foods such as Parmesan cheese can still be consumed.
- If meat changes color in your fridge or freezer, that alone is not an indication that it's spoiled.
If you have trouble deciphering the difference between food safety and food quality, you're not the only one.
Food waste not only costs American families hundreds of dollars a year, it's also the single largest component found in landfills across the country. And most of the time, pounds and pounds of food are thrown away merely due to confusion.
How long after an expiration date can you still eat a product? Does one small spot of mold mean a cheese has spoiled? Is discoloration a sign that meat has gone bad? The answer to most of these questions is it depends.
But here are 10 things to remember next time your questioning if something is safe to eat or not.
SEE ALSO: Where to find the expiration date on different types of foods
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1. "Use by" and "Best by" dates merely indicate freshness
Whether you're dealing with canned vegetables, a bottle of beer or a jar of mustard, most products remain safe to eat well beyond their “use buy” or “best buy” dates. For example, canned soups can sometimes last up to five years without spoiling, according to food safety specialists.
Use by and best by dates are dates the manufacturer deems a product reaches its peak quality or best flavor. They are placed on products with very little regulation and do indicate a food is no longer safe to eat, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
2. "Sell by" is intended for retailers, not consumers
If you take into account a product's "sell by" date while grocery shopping, it's time to lose that habit. Just because you're eating something with a two-month-old "sell by" date, does not mean it has expired.
"Sell by" dates aren't intended for you. They're supposed to help retailers ensure proper turnover so products still have a long shelf life after you buy them, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Still, 91% of consumers occasionally throw food away based on the "sell by" date out of a mistaken concern for food safety, according to a study by Harvard Law and the Natural Defense Council. Those researchers argue this date should not even be visible to consumers because the confusion around it causes large quantities of food waste.
3. You don't need to throw out bruised produce
Don't let your eyes fool you when it comes to bruised fruits and vegetables. Just because a banana or an avocado isn't flawless, doesn't mean it should be sentenced to the trash can.
According to Michigan State University, a bruise is simply a sign of cell damage and exposure to air. The reaction can make the fruit or vegetable softer and mushy, but it doesn't pose a health hazard. If you want to pick away the bruised section of your banana for aesthetic reasons, go for it. But if you decide to eat it in spite of its flaws, you'll survive just the same.
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