Each week, on the night before trash day, I clean out the refrigerator. My youngest is becoming more independent. He likes to prepare his own lunches, so removing expired food is a top priority to ensure it’s safe for him to eat. So, I’m pretty good about keeping things neat and tidy. Or so I thought.
Last week I decided to do a deeper clean and wade through the stacks of bottles and jars. So tell me why I found a bottle of Thousand Island dressing from 2017 and a six-year-old jar of maraschino cherries in there? That was an easy fix — they went straight into the trash bin.
Knowing how to read food expiration dates can be confusing. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, 90% of Americans misinterpret what the food label expiration dates really mean. Knowing what should be tossed and what expired foods are still safe to eat isn’t too clear. If you’re wondering if the expired food in your refrigerator or pantry is safe to eat, we cover the basics to help you figure out what to toss and what to keep.
Food expiration dates
Less waste in the kitchen
It may be worth it to take time to come up with a process to ensure you’re not throwing food away each time you clean your refrigerator. Alexis suggests taking stock of the canned food and frozen food in your kitchen. This will keep you from wondering whether the expired food is safe to eat.
“Meal planning helps to ensure that we have little food waste. Leftovers are used the next day instead of cooking a new meal,” she explained. “I check my pantry and fridge FIRST before I make my grocery list and meal plan. The first meals on the meal plan center around what I already have on hand. Then I add in any new meals we may want to try.”
Katherine Bakies, vice president of nutrition affairs for American Dairy Association Mideast, said that a survey determined that Americans waste one-third of the groceries they bring into their home. “Imagine coming home with four bags of groceries and throwing one straight into the trash. That’s really what is happening in most households,” she said in an interview with Earth.com. Survey respondents reported expired food as the main reason for disposal.
