The shelf life of food is the information that everyone pays close attention to. Many people are very scared when they hear about [expired food] [temporary food], and only regard it as [poisonous food].
Yes, today I want to subvert everyone’s understanding and talk about the understanding of food [shelf life]. I want to tell you that under certain circumstances, you can not only buy [temporary food] with confidence, but also eat [expired food] safely, thus saving a lot of money. How do you say this? Let’s take a look.
The quality of [good quality] is not necessarily safe.
[Shelf Life] is a common term, similar to [shelf life] [shelf life] [best eating period] [best taste period] and so on. They have certain differences in accurate definitions, but in daily life, people generally do not make any distinction and call them [shelf life].
Each kind of food has many properties, such as appearance, color, taste, taste, safety, etc.
In our usual understanding, when the [shelf life] is generally reached, food is unsafe. However, in actual production, which index becomes unqualified as soon as possible, and the [quality] of [shelf life] will be aimed at which index.
For example, milk is most likely to fail in the number of bacteria, so the [quality assurance] of milk is mainly aimed at bacteria not exceeding the standard. However, for frozen meat, it does not grow bacteria, but at a certain time, its flavor and taste may change. Therefore, for frozen meat, [quality assurance] refers to the period during which it maintains its taste and flavor. Such food is slightly expired, but its safety may not be greatly affected.
The [guarantee] of [quality] is a promise.
Food deterioration is a continuous and gradual process, Moreover, various indexes of food gradually change at different speeds. [Shelf Life] is a promise of the manufacturer-within this period, the flavor, taste and safety of food are guaranteed to meet the standards. If they do not meet the requirements, the manufacturer needs to be responsible. After the shelf life, the manufacturer will no longer guarantee it, but it does not mean it is broken.
This is the same reason as buying electrical appliances-for example, the shelf life is one year, and the manufacturer is responsible for the problem, but it does not mean that it will break down after one year. Of course, food is a disposable consumer product, and we can eat it within the shelf life, thus avoiding the risk of [in case of deterioration] after expiration.
Those foods that can be eaten after the expiration date.
We say that a kind of food [can be eaten] or [cannot be eaten], Usually refers to its security. Generally speaking, It refers to whether the pathogenic bacteria among them exceed the standard. There are also some oils and fats that oxidize and produce some bad oxidation products. For those foods that [deteriorate] not because of safety indicators, but because of flavor and taste, if they are not so picky about taste, they can still be eaten near expiration or even after expiration.
Therefore, we believe that there are some foods that need not worry too much about safety when they reach their shelf life. These foods mainly include the following:
Frozen food:
Bacteria do not grow under freezing conditions, so frozen food can be stored indefinitely as long as it does not thaw. However, during freezing, the taste and flavor will change.
The shelf life of frozen food is actually the time when there is no obvious change in flavor and taste. Therefore, even frozen food that has passed its shelf life can be eaten as long as you think it is not difficult to eat.
Canned food:
Canned food is food that has been heated at ultra-high temperature and for a long time after being sealed in cans. The bacteria in the food have been completely killed and will not deteriorate as long as it is not opened.
The [expiration] of canned food is mainly to speed up their turnover, and there is no reason for what’s safety. Some containers that are kept for too long may worry about some ingredients in the containers seeping into the food, but modern containers are already very safe, and that [long time] is far longer than the shelf life. Therefore, expired canned food is completely edible.
Foods with low water content:
Bacteria, fungi and mold all need a certain amount of water to grow. When the water content is low to a certain extent, they cannot grow.
This kind of food can be stored for a long time, such as biscuits, cereals, nutrition bars, etc. However, these foods may harden or soften during storage, thus affecting the taste. The [quality] of these foods is mainly aimed at the taste. Therefore, even if they expire, they can be eaten as long as you think the flavor and taste are acceptable.
High acid hot filled food:
Some foods or beverages are highly acidic, The pH value is below 4.6. If such food is heated and sterilized, filled while hot, and then sealed immediately, the bacteria in it will also be fully killed. As long as such food and beverage are not opened, they will not deteriorate at normal temperature. The [quality guarantee] of such food is also a change in flavor and taste, and expiration does not affect safety.
Ultra-high temperature aseptic filled beverages:
The typical example is normal temperature milk. This kind of food is heated at ultra-high temperature, the bacteria are killed off, and it is filled into sterile containers under sterile conditions. Just like canned food, as long as it is not opened, it will not change, and it is still safe to expire.
Yogurt:
Yogurt is a special kind of food, It contains a large number of living bacteria. In order to inhibit the activity of these bacteria, it needs refrigeration. In refrigeration, they still have certain growth ability, which leads to changes in the appearance and flavor of yogurt, that is, it is not good-looking or delicious. However, the environment of yogurt is not suitable for the growth of pathogenic bacteria, so it can still be eaten if it expires slightly.
Those foods that should not be eaten after the expiration date.
Foods sold in cold storage:
Generally speaking, the quality of foods sold in supermarkets under refrigerated conditions is aimed at bacterial growth. Therefore, except yogurt, those foods should not be eaten if they expire.
Food sold at normal temperature but with short shelf life:
Some foods sold at normal temperature, such as bread and cakes, are also killed by bacteria after being baked at high temperature. However, their water content is relatively high, and if bacteria or mold are introduced into packaging and storage, they will also grow during preservation.
This kind of food may be sold on shelves at room temperature, but the shelf life is short. Bacteria or mold may grow after the shelf life. To be on the safe side, don’t eat this kind of food when it expires.
Finally, it is emphasized again:
No matter what kind of food, as long as it has passed its shelf life, it is not allowed to be sold.
There are many supermarkets that sell products that are close to their expiration date at reduced prices. If it is the food mentioned above that can be eaten after expiration, and you are not very picky about the flavor and taste, then these foods are very economical choices.