Ten Foods You Can Safely Eat AFTER Their Use-by Dates Revealed

While we have all sniffed food to check whether it has gone off, it's sometimes difficult to know which produce can be safely consumed after its use-by date.
Whether it's chocolate that has developed a whitish bloom or bread that has gone slightly mouldy, it's confusing whether something is OK to eat or drink or whether it needs to be binned. 
As one entrepreneur reveals he is making millions by selling out-of-date food, it's clear that when it comes to the timeline on our packaging, there is some leeway.
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There are some foods which can be safely eaten even after use-by their dates have long gone
Dan Cluderay, from Worksop, Nottinghamshire, who runs Approved Food, appeared on Bargain Fever Britain on ITV1 last night, explaining how he sells his cheap products to busy mums and bargain hunters.
The 40-year-old says the secret to his success is that his business provides just what the savvy shopper is looking for - quality food at prices which save mums around £60 off their weekly bill compared to a similar shop at one of the big supermarkets.
He says there are only two dates shoppers need to know about: 'use-by' and 'best before' dates. 
According to NHS guidelines, the use-by date means food has to be eaten by that time, otherwise it can cause you to be unwell.
However, when it comes to best before dates, it's a different story, with many produce safe to consume for sometimes weeks after this timeline. 

Dan Cluderay's online business selling out-of-date food has proven to be a hit with busy mums
Cupboard staples bread, milk and eggs can all be consumed past their use-by dates
But while use-by dates do play a part in ensuring we don't make ourselves sick, there are some foods which can be safely eaten even after their dates have long gone.
In an article for the MailOnline, investigative food journalist Joanna Blythman revealed: 'Use-by dates are, of course, an integral part of our modern food distribution, whereby supermarkets like to promote the concept of the "weekly shop". 
'In this culture of "stocking up" for several days ahead, an illusion of freshness is provided by vast, high-tech fridges.'


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She continues: 'But use-by dates are here to stay. They are an inevitable part of our urbanised, retail society and it is foolish to ignore them. What is crucial to understand, though, is the difference between use-by and best-before labels - something that often seems to confuse consumers.' 

With so much information and advice around, how can we be certain what is safe to eat?  
Chocolate (left)  can keep past its use by date. It may however develop a 'bloom' which occurs when cocoa fats are exposed to air. It is also safe to eat hard cheese such as cheddar (right) after their use by dates
Dry aged steak (meat which sometimes has been hung for up to 120 days and becomes dry due to loss of water content) sees connoisseurs paying over the odds for consuming essentially what is mouldy meat 
'Foods which are very salty, for instance, are generally safe to eat. A good example of this is pickles, which, because it is preserved in vinegar, is safe to consume long after the date on the jar,' Joanna said.
'The same rule applies to sugary foods such as honey or jam. Using large amounts of sugar is an effective method of preservation, which is the reason that very sweet products like fruitcake and fudge can be eaten well past their use by dates.' 
According to Ms Blythman,fermented food such as German sauerkraut and Korean kimchi are safe as as they are essentially food which has been preserved through salting, curing or drying.
She also said that hard cheeses, such as cheddar, are safe to eat after their use-by dates. 
'Even if it's turned mouldy on the outside, the exterior can just be cut off and the interior consumed. The same principle applies to bread,' she said. 
Hard cheeses, such as cheddar, are safe to eat after their use-by dates
The same, however, is not true of soft cheeses like brie or camembert, which can foster harmful bacteria once they have lost their freshness.
And surprisingly, use-by dates are not too much of a worry with eggs.
'They can still be used in a sponge cake or hard-boiled in a salad long after the benchmark has been passed, though they should not be eaten scrambled, fried or soft-boiled if they have been left for too long,' she explained. 
'In the same vein, sour milk makes great pancakes. The act of cooking the milk will kill off any harmful bacteria present.' 
However she advised to steer clear of consuming meats after their use-by dates. 
'Under no circumstances should any meats be consumed past their use-by dates,' she said. 
'Poultry and pork are by far the biggest sources of food poisoning in Britain, a problem worsened by factory farming methods that spread contamination.'  
 And while it may seem counterintuitive to cook meat such as steak when it's gone past it's use-by date, the current trend for dry aged steak (meat which sometimes has been hung for up to 120 days and becomes dry due to loss of water content) sees connoisseurs paying over the odds for consuming essentially what is mouldy meat.
If you don't mind the loss of crunch, both biscuits (left) and crisps (right) can be eaten after their use-by dates
At the 120-day hanging stage, the mould, which is very similar to what you would see on aged cheese such as blue cheese, starts to form.
'Most simply, thoroughly cooking any product will destroy most bacteria, as they cannot survive extreme heat,' Ms Blythman said. 
'For example, where meat has darkened because of exposure to air, it needn't be binned. Just cook it at a high heat and it should be absolutely fine.' 
However, she does have a word of warning. 
'Despite what some people think, washing meat under a tap makes no difference to the bacteria contained within. Indeed, it can even be positively counter-productive, by spreading that bacteria to the kitchen sink, surfaces and cloths.'
TEN FOODS WHICH CAN BE CONSUMED AFTER THEIR USE-BY DATES Milk: Pasteurised milk will keep 50 per cent  longer if you store it at a lower temperature. Try storing at the back of the fridge rather than the fridge door. If your milk has gone sour, use it to make pancakes 
Eggs: According to a report by food scientist Dana Gunders, eggs can last for three to five weeks. But they have to be kept at a temperature below 5C (41F), as that helps prevent potential growth of Salmonella enteritidis.
Sugary foods: Anything with a large amount of sugar, such as jams or honeys, are safe to be consumed. 
German sauerkraut and Korean kimchi: Safe as as they are foods which has been preserved through salting, curing or drying. 
Crisps: While they may have gone soft, crisps are highly processed and loaded with salt so are safe to be consumed.
Biscuits: Like crisps, biscuits are also highly processed and thus can be consumed long after their sell-by date. If they taste soft or soggy simply pop them in the oven to get them crunchy again.
Dry pasta: Dry goods such as uncooked pasta, as long as it is stored in airtight containers, can keep indefinitely
Bread: Keep it in the freezer and it will last for ages. Just make sure you cut out the mouldy bits if you spot any.
Canned foods: Extend the shelf life of canned products by storing them in a cool and dark area.
Packaged salad: As long as your salad leaves haven't gone mouldy (wilted and mouldy are very different) simply revive them in ice-cold water
Chocolate: Chocolate can last a long time often develops a white coating, known as the 'bloom', when it's exposed to the air. This happens because the fat melts and weareliferuiner.com rises to the top. 
Mr Cluderay told FEMAIL: 'Food is perfectly fine to be eaten way past its "best before" date, as people know, but the large supermarkets won't do that and that's where we come in.
'We sell food, such as cans of baked beans, pasta sauce, tins of tuna, which may have gone past their 'best before' date by a few weeks, but everyone knows they will taste just the same as the products which have weeks left to run.'
Mr Cluderay said they dispatch around 600 orders a day with his average shopper spending around £40 a week buying cupboard staples such as pasta, pasta sauce, flour and toilet rolls.
'By comparison, they'd be spending around £100 at one of the major supermarkets so they're actually saving around £60 which they can then spend on something else.
'We don't touch food that has a limited shelf life such as fresh chicken and fresh fish, but we do sell hardy vegetables.'

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN USE BY AND BEST BEFORE DATES:  USE BY...
You will see 'use by' dates on food that goes off quickly, such as smoked fish, meat products and ready-prepared salads.
Don't use any food or drink after the end of the 'use by' date on the label, even if it looks and smells fine. This is because using it after this date could put your health at risk.
For the 'use by' date to be a valid guide, you must follow storage instructions such as ‘keep in a refrigerator'. If you don't follow these instructions, the food will spoil more quickly and you may risk food poisoning.
Once a food with a ‘use by' date on it has been opened, you also need to follow any instructions such as ‘eat within three days of opening'.
But remember, if the ‘use by' is tomorrow, then you must use the food by the end of tomorrow, even if the label says ‘eat within a week of opening' and you have only opened the food today.
If a food can be frozen its life can be extended beyond the ‘use by' date. But make sure you follow any instructions on the pack, such as ‘cook from frozen' or ‘defrost thoroughly before use and use within 24 hours'.
BEST BEFORE... 
‘Best before' dates appear on a wide range of frozen, dried, tinned and other foods.
‘Best before' dates are about quality, not safety. When the date is passed, it doesn't mean that the food will be harmful, but it might begin to lose its flavour and texture.
Eggs can be eaten after their ‘best before' date as long as they are cooked thoroughly until both yolk and white are solid, or if they are used in dishes where they will be fully cooked such as a cake.
Cooking eggs until both the white and yolk are solid will kill any bacteria, such as salmonella. People who are in ‘at-risk' groups should only eat eggs, or food containing eggs, that have been thoroughly cooked. These groups include: babies and toddlers; elderly people; pregnant women; people who are already unwell.
Every year in the UK we throw away 7.2m tonnes of food and drink, most of which could have been eaten. So think carefully before throwing away food past its ‘best before' date.
Remember, the ‘best before' date will only be accurate if the food is stored according to the instructions on the label, such as ‘store in a cool dry place' or ‘keep in the fridge once opened'.
DISPLAY UNTIL/ SELL BY...
Date marks such as ‘display until' or ‘sell by' often appear near or next to the ‘best before' or ‘use by' date. These are instructions for shop staff, not for shoppers.
The important dates for you to look for are the ‘use by' and ‘best before' dates.
Information on the NHS  
 

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