Food expiration dates don’t mean what you think - Carolyn Beans

Find out what expiration date labels on food actually mean, and discover ways communities and governments can lessen food waste.
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Countries around the world waste huge amounts of food every year: roughly a fifth of food items in the US are tossed because consumers aren’t sure how to interpret expiration labels. But most groceries are still perfectly safe to eat past their expiration dates. If the dates on our food don’t tell us that something’s gone bad, what do they tell us? Carolyn Beans shares how to prevent food waste.
Lesson by Carolyn Beans, directed by Anton Bogaty.
This video made possible in collaboration with Speed & Scale
Learn more about how TED-Ed partnerships work: bit.ly/TEDEdPartners
A special thanks to Roni Neff who provided information and insights for the development of this video.
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Animator's website: antonbogaty.com
Music: www.campstudio.co
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[@jumpywizard7665]

This stuff should be taught in schools. I’m French and when I first met my American husband and moved in with him and some other roommates I was dumbfounded on how easily they would throw perfectly fine food away.

[@Agent-ie3uv]

The mexican above you says french people waste more food than anyone else and now you have different claim 🙄💀

[@maximipe]

Argentinian here and same, we'd throw away food only if it has visible mold in it

[@hypercane2023]

Yeah best before date doesn’t mean you can’t eat it

[@gustav4748]

In Sweden and I would guess also other nordic countries this, along with much more I am amazed is not taught elsewhere is taught in what we call hemkunskap (home knowledge/science). Also included in the classes are cooking, dieting (nutrition not losing weight), cleaning, lifestyle and some personal finances.

[@Pablo-ob2bx]

@@Agent-ie3uv The mexican was talking about food not being finished from a canteen whereas the comment above and the video talk about untoched food being thrown even if it's still fine

[@the7observer]

"fresh until" and "safe to consume until" having these two dates make a great difference

[@8stormy5]

I think having a "safe to consume until" date would actually be harmful considering how vastly different case-by-case spoilage can go. Milk, for example, is tough. The lower the temperature the better, and the timer starts ticking much faster once you crack the seal. Beyond that, even dairy milk is often sold in shelf-stable containers, making such a date not useful in these cases. We end up with people told to throw out perfectly fine food, or in less likely cases people consuming bad food on the assumption that "the label says it's okay"

[@poppinc8145]

Those aren't helpful either. The second one is especially misleading and so is "Use By". I think "Best If Used By" is the most straight-forward label.

[@nirui.o]

There are many edge cases what could bring you law trouble if "safe to consume until" is used. For example, what if the bag of the food is unnoticeably damaged causing the food inside expired before the marked date? "Used by" is a deadline, but "safe to consume until" is a promise.

[@hkgamma]

It won't. Assume you're in a store, and you want to buy food. You have something that has a "safe to consume until" in the future, so it's safe. But "fresh until" is in the past. Would you buy it? Especially if on the same shelf there is the exact same food, but with "fresh until" in the future.

[@InfiniteDarkMass]

Though I agree that clearer labelling would be nice, as the other commenters point out, there's still countless issues to resolve. In this case, I guess, the best solution is: Education! Just like this short video, produced by well-meaning people, just 5 minutes long, can spread awareness about the issue. It's not the best video, probably, but it's free and can be shown in classrooms in just a short moment, and then discussed. Or they could run a segment on this during the news or something, on television. You'd think educating the masses would be easier than ever in our technological century.

[@JessicaSmith-zb7sq]

When I worked in catering I used to get literally nauseous seeing the amount of food we’d waste daily. And if anyone tried to take the food they’d be risking their jobs. I’m hoping we get more legislation to promote food donation, especially since so many American communities are in grocery deserts and an alarming amount of our youth live in homes that struggle with food insecurity.

[@anthonyt219]

So much food and money wasted cuz companies don't want to give employees an opportunity to bring expired food home.

[@Bambisgf77]

@@anthonyt219bc someone sued the daylights out of a company over this issue. Sad isn’t it?

[@Bambisgf77]

Jessica there is a law against doing so bc of a lawsuit. That law suit turned into a law in some ( most) places to protect the companies from being sued. The lawyers who took this to court should be put in the stocks for a day. 😕

[@ronaldross6950]

I have to say that when I worked for a truck company, we delivered their tables and chairs. But we had to stay till the end, to bring them back. After the so-called business meeting, they have over ordered the food. I had several of the hotel staff asked me, do you want to take some of this food. The staff explained to me that they are just going to throw all of it away. That was many years ago and to this day I still don't get it. Oh, I understand. that is the sad part. GOD help this world and our country. From what we have become. Amen. Sorry for making it so long.

[@izzyrov5814]

It's worse in cruise ships. Everyday feeding thousands of passengers and crews

[@manoela2452]

in brazil there are these markets called "sacolão" (which translates to "big bag" basically) where they sell food past its expiration date for really cheap, so its a common for people of lower-income to buy there. not only does it gives a huge group of people access to more affordable food, but its also an incentive on lowering food waste.

[@mctapoutos7426]

That's good as long as there is no fish or chicken products

[@Drobalar-Drsebi]

*MR OBALAR* ON KZbin CURED ME TOTALLY ❤..❤

[@DanielLCarrier]

There's plenty of places that do that sort of thing in the US too. I remember going the a Fresh&Easy that had a spot like that, and I just called it Easy.

[@eduarda7161]

@@mctapoutos7426apenas frutas, legumes, grãos e sementes

[@initaaa]

since when is sacolão expired food? It's a greengrocer or fruit and vegetables market.

[@emilygastelum6641]

My mom used to work at 7-Eleven and would always bring home hot foods, pastries, and cold sandwiches that were marked to be tossed that day. The food was still perfectly good in all aspects and it got me fed through high school.

[@emilygastelum6641]

@@DerpDerpDerpDerpDerpDerpDerp Yeah, we never got sick. And anyway, those foods that are marked to be tossed (say, June 19th) are still being sold that day until the end of day. So it doesn't matter if we bought it before the end of day or after.

[@AttilaAsztalos]

@@emilygastelum6641 conversely, there's a type a chicken/salad-roll sandwich from a major international store chain where I live that (even kept in the fridge) would visibly inflate its plastic packaging to near bursting REGULARLY within a day or two, WELL BEFORE its expiry date - and has given me issues even when not doing that. Screw that sideways, I'm done with it. And it's nowhere near the only questionable article from the same chain...

[@BrainHurricanes]

@@AttilaAsztalos Exactly, I experienced the same thing, inflated packaging before the expiration date and kept in a well cooled fridge. It's almost if like they printed the wrong exp date on purpose. And it literally says expiration date, not best before date.

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Marked Food Cheap Prices

[@spankynater4242]

Sweet, my sister did this when she worked at McD.

[@heyrayhere]

my mom always did this. she judges the safety of the food based on her senses and not the expiry dates. most of our relatives often teased her, but she continued to feed us food past the expiry date if it were still healthy and showed how we never got food poison or any related health issues.

[@bztube888]

The real problem can come from meat anyway, which has a very noticeable smell. Milk got sour, eggs stay fresh forever in the fridge.

[@penelopewaters4630]

I honestly thought that was the norm.

[@CAMSLAYER13]

Literally the entire point of half your senses. I don't know why people are so shocked by doing that

[@play005517]

It still requires some knowledge to know when is dangerous to cut corners. Moldy food is dangerous even if the rest of the food looks, smells, and tastes okay after you remove the moldy part.

[@Leanzazzy]

​@@play005517Most people don't realise it, but the mould has already spread throughout the food by the time you start seeing clumps. Cutting out the visible part doesn't make it safe to eat.

[@bryansparkman4833]

I've always kept foods beyond the expiration dates specifically canned foods, condiments, and dried pastas. People would give me a hard time....I'm glad that this video exists. 😊

[@Notfiveo0]

The date is so the products manufacturer can get grocery stores to toss out products and buy new stock, thereby selling more product to the stores.

[@Drobalar-Drsebi]

*MR OBALAR* ON KZbin CURED ME TOTALLY ❤..❤

[@tylerhorn3712]

Anything canned is good basically forever. Still gotta watch out for can damage though, as bacteria could get inside then your not gonna like the end result. Or bacteria was allready in there and you can see the growth from the outward dents. It'll merge with the canning liquid in terms of flavor, but it's not gonna get you sick.

[@FlorinSutu]

Be glad that you did not get sick with botulism.

[@VarsVerum]

Expiry also depends on if the product is reopenable. For example an unopened jug of milk past the expiration date is probably still A-OK for a good long while, whereas a jug of milk opened a couple of times over a week that’s past expiration date might be at risk of spoilage. It really comes down to the age old: “it depends”.

[@kathyinwonderlandl.a.8934]

Agree totally with you

[@kiwitrainguy]

Most foods only start to deteriorate once they are opened, before that they are fine.

[@gypsygem9395]

I buy organic milk and even when opened it usually keeps at least a week past the date on the carton.

[@KasumiRINA]

Milk doesn't "expire", it spoils. Spoiled milk is an ingredient in cooking and baking, it's literally how cottage cheese is made. Processed spoiled milk, boiled and then separated. Unopened milk spoils too depends on which form of pasteurization it went through.

[@lolbajset]

🙄🙄🙄@@KasumiRINA

[@sirajummonira6874]

I really needed this video, always felt horrid about throwing away expired foods, this is trully educational and helpful for the environment

[@ShivamPatel-ui9yh]

You don't need a video to know that you were doing right thing!

[@cratuca]

@@ShivamPatel-ui9yh actually, you do. That's what education is

[@ShivamPatel-ui9yh]

@@cratuca you call it confirmation bias

[@Periwinkleaccount]

⁠@@ShivamPatel-ui9yh although, in this case, at least it’s not harmful.

[@Periwinkleaccount]

⁠@@cratuca I don’t think so. Food waste is pretty obviously a bad thing.

[@jaames]

My mom worked for a Canadian expat who throws away food that was a few days before the labeled date. Once every month, my mom would take home HUGE boxes of these goodies deemed "unsafe" by her boss, and give it to us. That's how I grew up eating Whole Foods-esque organic food items I would never have been able to afford in the first place. I would like to take this moment to thank my mom's boss. I would never have been able to taste A5 wagyu steak, or organic copper river salmon if not for her. Only bad thing that came out if this was I got a taste for how the other half lives. lol

[@InfiniteDarkMass]

If undesired stuff found its way to where it's needed, the world would be a much happier place.

[@tubax926]

@@InfiniteDarkMass thats the problem. there’s no one to give the people in poverty the food. its sick that most food corporations don’t care about things like this.

[@unliving_ball_of_gas]

So world hunger is a delivery problem, not a supply problem.

[@TBDBITL-zd8hb]

@@tubax926 It is not that most food companies don't care. For short shelf-life items, there is no timely mechanism to get things from here to there.

[@curtisthomas2670]

It's a strategy. If you throw away something you have to replace it. "Built-in obselence" food version

[@nehlaa1654]

I have been trying to tell my roomates this for years. They refuses to eat anything that is past its "best by" date, even though there is nothing physically wrong with it.

[@kiwitrainguy]

Simple answer, just say "Great, I'll have it".

[@carolynboyd8539]

Maybe package small amounts for single people.

[@samsnoww2]

Although I know the food is technically fine, my brain will not allow me to ingest something that is past its date. I will see it as rotten and can not shake that thought, maybe they had the same issue🤷🏻‍♀️

[@Drobalar-Drsebi]

*MR OBALAR* ON KZbin CURED ME TOTALLY ❤..❤

[@TheAhmadiMuslimGirl]

I'm so glad that someone made a video on this topic. I've been managing my household for 15 years and my kitchen/food waste is very little for the size of my family. I have always relied on my senses to judge if smth has gone bad.

[@kaundawootenjr.2223]

I worked at a grocery store and used to be in pain by how much food we couldn't sell just because it was a day past the expiration date. Thankfully just because we couldn't sell them didn't mean we couldn't give them away, so alot of it got donated, put in the break room, or taken home for us to eat. I honestly think I've gotten sick more times from eating at restaurants and cafeterias than eating out of date food.

[@ubiquitousdiabolus]

Usually it's not the packaged food that is a risk, it's the cross contamination by staff in restaurants.

[@AhmetMurati]

I have always said that the expiry date is set so in advance, so manufacturers do not have a problem if someone has lower immunity to be poisoned by that food.

[@bluebeka2458]

I know some supermarkets that would sell sometimes expired vegetables and fruits. It happened to us one day. It wasan't even half price, but i could tell because it started to grown mold on it. Also don't trust the "organic" food either. Some is bad as non organic food on quality, just be careful always what you buy. Sometimes you might get food that would give you food poisoning.

[@macaronypizza9917]

I drank an unopened, refrigerated brisk that was barely past its "best by" date and puked my guts out all night, now I play it safe lol

[@kaundawootenjr.2223]

@@macaronypizza9917 If it made you sick just a few days after the best by date, it was most likely going to do the same thing on the best by date or just a few days before the best by date. Bacteria don't automatically decide to make food toxic after a specific date, otherwise alot more people would be getting sick. It sounds like something went wrong during its production or it was improperly handled and/or stored before you bought it. Either that or it may have been something else that got you sick if it wasn't the only thing you consumed around that time.

[@technojunkie123]

I was always taught as a kid that using your senses was the best way to tell if groceries had gone bad or not - so imagine my shock when I saw a friend throw away a newly bought gallon of milk just because it was one day past the Best Used By date 😩

[@eMDiKhamPha]

wow I drank milk 2 weeks past its expiration date; It was fine. For organic milk, it could be 2 months past expiration date

[@Silencer796]

@@eMDiKhamPha omg.

[@philoconceptionist]

I'm camping in the comments (cuz of ads) and haven't watched the video yet but: As an Asian raised in America, we were taught the bad qualities that a minute difference can make. Diarrhea, stomach, nasea, so and so forth. I had food poisoning by eating 3 day old cinnamon coffee muffins. They were the best things, and for the next few days followed the worse. But maybe it wasn't the food or was just a special case. Gotta love how Ted-ed spreads awareness, especially to us Americans.

[@solsystem1342]

I don't have a good sense of taste or smell and I live alone. Idk what to do😢 And yes, I have given myself food poisoning multiple times.

[@lakraknjeprak2536]

the problem about milk is how you store it. exp date written on the carton box assume you store it at room temp. meanwhile the right temperature to store milk is 0°C - 4°C. i'm using carton of milk way past written exp date for my latte and cappuccino and its perfectly fine. and you know milk in coffee beverages is sensitive to work with. or your drink will fail badly.

[@cbgaming7209]

This video actually reminds me of when me and my cousins were eating baby carrots while watching TV. We ate almost the whole bag before a cousin says that the label indicated it expired a bit ago. But we kept eating them as they were still crunchy

[@KasumiRINA]

They put expiration date on CARROTS? O.o like them going softer doesn't mean they're spoiled either, you cook with them. Only processed food needs expiration date.

[@kimberlyolander2403]

I absolutely loved this video because I have told my kids over and over again that just because something says it is out of date that it is not good when I have used things far beyond their dates and I have also found a few items that went bad before their date.😊

[@h2amster328]

TED ed always know which art style to go with. makes me happy every time

[@kateapple1]

Paid comment!

[@sroy7982]

not meaning to be rude and ive been watching ted ed for 4 years but isnt it the same art style everytime?

[@h2amster328]

@@sroy7982 yes! but this art style tends to be used with illness, medical stuff like viruses :)

[@IdentifiantE.S]

@@sroy7982Almost the same yes 😶

[@kashvi1225]

@@sroy7982 nope! almost every video has a different animation style, examples "how love changes your brain" and "what's a food allergy" have a more detailed colour pencil style, while "the science of cuteness" is simple lines and bold colours and "why cities need trees is more classic detailed animation"

[@raystinger6261]

There's another option: only buy the food you know you're going to eat. People tend to overstock food for no reason. If the food you have is expiring, that's a sign you're buying too much of it!

[@piccadelly9360]

That's why my fridge is mostly empty

[@Spacebugg]

Fr. I guess some people don't live paycheck to paycheck.

[@najmaddingahraman7953]

that doesn't work if you live in the middle of nowhere

[@Astrophel24]

@@najmaddingahraman7953grow your own food? It’s what most people who live in the middle of nowhere do, if not all people who live away from a city. Gardening is a must for all those who wish to live away from towns and cities; if you personally can’t keep a plant alive, you aren’t fit for the life of living farther away from a supermarket. Even people in the city grow their own vegetables, it’s a you problem at that point.

[@najmaddingahraman7953]

@@Astrophel24 I grew up in a city, but I used to spend my summers at my uncle’s house in a rural village. The village had a water shortage and it was difficult to find clean water to drink. The villagers lived on top of a mountain and it was very hard for them to access other places. They had to buy everything in bulk because they couldn’t reach the nearest store in another village.

[@AngelaMastrodonato]

My husband suffered from food poisoning years ago, about a year before we met. Consequently, he’s paranoid about food dates no matter how often I try to explain to him that most shelf-stable food is good past its date. I am strict with dates for any packaged mix that contains powdered milk or egg though, such as pancake mix.

[@todja]

my boyfriend and i got in argument because he made me pancakes when the mix was 2 years old and i was so angry

[@bcaye]

Expiration dates have nothing to do with food borne illness, unless you insist on eating it after it started rotting. Food borne illness results from faulty *handling* of food, especially meat. Three rules to prevent it: Wash your hands Disinfect utensils, plain white vinegar works great Never allow food, especially meat to be above 40°F to below 140° Fahrenheit for more than 2 hours, that is the window that allows the bacteria to multiply, if there is a low number of microorganisms it will not cause illness

[@iceshaver1765]

@@todja Considering that old pancake mix can harbor dangerous mold, you are in the right!

[@mastrshok]

If stored properly, shell egg is good for 4-6 weeks. 6 weeks is the usual limit I go. The date on them is the 30 days from pasteurized/packaged date. We have retention up to 75 days after packaging (hence the 6 weeks [30 day + 42 days]) They could potentially be good beyond that. If you arent sure, a simple float test can be done. Source: my job. I'm in FSQ/QA for an egg products company

[@sairamsk3206]

Yes, this is a big problem in the US but countries in Africa or Asia mostly have traditions and cultures of not wasting food. They are prominent in not throwing away a thing eaten to live.

[@pinkgreenmelon2209]

Yup my mother always tells me that the expiry date isn’t super correct 😂

[@AlpoDers]

In Turkey we just buy enough food that isn't overboard so we can prevent wasting food and also eat things while they're fresh

[@Agent-ie3uv]

That why experts says we need 5 planet earths if every human on this world lives like Americans 💀

[@cmo5807]

Do not take it the wrong way but poor countries are going to not waste food becasause they are well starving. I would be willing to bet if you gave them wealth like developed countries with a little time they would waste. Do you think the first settlers in the US or even go back 80 or so years and I bet they are not wasting food. It comes with the $$$.

[@cinnamonshake45]

welp in India tho... if you ever been to a marriage or a anyother kind of grand feast, youd see people wasting a lot of food

[@RandomCitizen369]

Love the fact that this video was narrated by the lovely Mrs. Beans

[@basedblackbeard4456]

Mr. Bean has a wife?

[@Sumnerstrain]

I didn't notice her name and thought you meant she was rowan Atkinsons wife😂

[@adatzotschew1625]

Who said she was married?

[@StanSays]

You can see in the credits that the lesson is from Carolyn Beans, but the narrator is Alexandra Panzer.

[@deleted-something]

Lol

[@ericaarseth7678]

My girlfriend needs to watch this, I've told her repeatedly that "sell by" or exp dates are not the day the food goes bad! A week or two ago, just after thanksgiving, I went into a AM/PM to buy some of the 3-pack cookies they sell, when I got up to the counter their were several packages of them sitting on the checkout counter. the casher said they had to be thrown out 'cause they were a DAY old! I got 3 pack for free cause of this!

[@KasumiRINA]

Cookies don't expire for years. They might get soggy in years tho.

[@ilovetotri23]

I own a restaurant owner in the US. Date labeling is super frustrating! I have been operating for over 30 years and we have always received high praise from our regulating authorities. We understand, as most people do, the basic signs of telling where a food is safe. So we label our own products with dates we understand as safe. If they ever exceed that date we use the sight and smell test.

[@opwave79]

Definitely need to encourage donating food more often. It will really help with families who are struggling to feed their kids

[@randomviewer8756]

I think companies wont do that because it would be a loss of profits(if they give away food they think there would be no reason to buy from them anymore)

[@dinosaurpro6592]

​@@randomviewer8756true

[@jackli6592]

you cant donate food that you going to throw away, its not going to fix the food waste

[@ronaldross6950]

I have to say that I agree with you shole heartedly. I have to say that the first person is right. As sad as it is.

[@gypsygem9395]

​@@jackli6592supermarkets THROW AWAY fresh food at the end of the day and it ends up in LANDFILL. Ever heard of Olio? Donating to them or charities etc saves this waste and it DOES get used. More shops, restaurants etc need to use Olio, Too Good to Go and other similar apps or donate to charities which aim to prevent water for sending up in landfill. They also need to cut down on how much they overstock, however, sales fluctuate day by day so this is much harder to implement.

[@WoundedSnake]

As a medical doctor I can assure to you that it goes the same with medications as well, but it is way more complicated especially that many factors affects the expirecy rate, I hope TED Ed makes an episode about it

[@SuccessforLifester]

I have a clinic dispensed cough syrup in my fridge for maybe 15 years. I took once last month but my doctor friend asked me to throw. What do you think?

[@WoundedSnake]

@@SuccessforLifester 15 years?!!! I would recommend keeping it 15 more years as a joke, but I am afraid some people would take it seriously So I would recommend to double it and give it to the person

[@SuccessforLifester]

@@WoundedSnake ☺️

[@onikin]

Yep. I've used insulin 2 years past its expiration date (28 days after opening). Worked the same. Maybe a marginal loss in efficacy. Storing meds in sealed, cool, dry, and dark (no UV) places limits their chemical breakdown and contamination risk. Just have natural chemical degradation, which is usually very very slow.

[@gabriels1163]

My understanding is that medical expiration dates are based off of degradation of potency. So while most medicines are still safe to take long past the exp date they may not have anywhere near the advertised effect. That doesnt matter for a claritin or excedrin, but could matter a lot for something like an antibiotic.

[@bztube888]

Smelling is very reliable. The only food I binned recently because of an unmistakable bad smell was actually within its expiry date. On the other hand, I had never got sick after smelling the food.

[@manoloribera9362]

I looked up this video because I seem to be throwing away food at, or just before the expiration date. And I’ve always felt wrong about it so I wanted to be more educated on the topic. Definitely learned something today.

[@bag3lmonst3r72]

Tinned foods can literally last more than a century. Some scientists once tasted tinned peaches from the steamboat "Bertrand" that sank in 1865 - and they were still safe to eat.

[@jinga9862]

If stored in a dry area. idk about you, but I'm not eating rust

[@picgmr1575]

@@jinga9862 fun fact: eating rust isnt actually bad for you

[@Bruced82]

@@picgmr1575 If you can swipe it away, it should be OK, deep rust has holes that you should toss away.

[@picgmr1575]

@@Bruced82 I mean as in actually ingesting the rust. rust doesnt really pose any threat to a person unless they have hemochromatosis

[@tup4443]

dude, if a can of Heinz beans was sent into primordial earth,burried, and today humans where to find it, it wold probably be still safe to eat.

[@manaze85]

I have been trying to tell my wife this for years. She refuses to eat anything that is past its "best by" date, even though there is nothing physically wrong with it.

[@gam3kid]

Sounds like my wife. I just don't show her the date

[@lovehagglund3234]

@@gam3kid That's the correct way if people stay stuborn and refuse to use what half of their senses were evolved to specifically do. Controll if somthing is safe to eat or not.

[@konny2663]

Don't try to Sound dramatic, but I could not live or cook with her

[@alessiap.3989]

I don't know your wives but they seem way to picky; it makes me laugh that i read your comments seconds after posting mine and i'm currently cooking some stuff that i forgot were expiring last week but still taste great 😅😂 sounds like neither of them ever experienced some real food education, true hunger or not having money to throw away, they would cherish every crumble otherwise 😅 bless them, i hope they will open their minds at some point 🖤 wishing you and your wives the best 🖤

[@AngelaMastrodonato]

My husband is this way but he got food poisoning once. This was from eating wings prepared by a restaurant and I assume they smelled tasted ok. He said he seriously thought he was going to die

[@bootyeater6762]

Carolyn Beans is the best representative to teach us about food hygiene

[@ToxyBlack]

I work in food factories and I know exactly how expiring dates/batch codes work and I can confirm food is safe to eat even if they pass the expiration dates as long as it’s been stored in the right conditions and if they still smell and taste fine. But if you’re bit paranoid about eating expired food then don’t because the dates are still put there for a reason.

[@garimasundriyal2933]

For how long can i eat a jar of peanut butter past it's use by date?

[@Phoenixashes-zx7vt]

@@garimasundriyal29332 to 3 months if opened and sealed properly each time

[@Phoenixashes-zx7vt]

@@garimasundriyal2933that also depends if it’s natural or processed peanut butter

[@garimasundriyal2933]

@@Phoenixashes-zx7vt what if it's processed?

[@Phoenixashes-zx7vt]

@@garimasundriyal2933 if it’s processed 2 months

[@andrewjames2617]

This actually just reaffirms everything I already know or assumed about food expiration. Still need to be cautious when using something past the expiration date however using sight and smell will go a long way in helping to figure out if something’s gone bad.

[@annadang5811]

And if those didn’t indicate anything, there’s still your tongue, so actually tasting it will also be helpful with determining food safety.

[@Tumbolisu]

Hi, non-american here. Do you guys really call the "best by" label the "expiration date", despite it not saying "expiration" anywhere at all?

[@eIIaaaaa]

@@Tumbolisu yes but "best buy" and "expired by" are both used on food

[@Drobalar-Drsebi]

*MR OBALAR* ON KZbin CURED ME TOTALLY ❤..❤

[@matesafranka6110]

There's also a legal side to this. Companies are motivated to play it safe and print a shorter expiration date, to make absolutely sure they don't get sued for accidental food poisoning. Sweden has the "Best before" / "Use by" label system, often putting both dates on the packaging. Some brands also phrase it as "Best before (but still not bad after)"

[@AlexandruBurda]

Exactly. 🙂👍

[@gie3973]

I was waiting for someone to point this out

[@AA-eq2zq]

They also make more money - people eat less of what they buy (at least when they buy more then they can consume) so when they throw it away, they buy more.

[@AmateurHuman19]

Just about the most obvious comment you could make here. Of COURSE that's why they do it on the surface, it makes sense, companies have to cover their asses for liability when it comes to food safety. Fine. However, isn't it odd that we don't have any legislation on food WASTE, like the cited example in France? Strange, it's almost as if there's a class of people that benefit from that gap in policy, which makes consumers throw out more food, and thus buy more... Nahhh let's defend the companies more!

[@winslycan1309]

Yup. It is totally not fun when you eat something that is rotten but the expiration date says otherwise. In Finland, there is a red Valio milk that will likely expire 3 days before the expiration dates. Lemme tell you it's not a fun experience. Better safe than sorry.

[@upbeatpanda3942]

Ive learned something major today. Thank you TED-Ed !

[@sunajeon5319]

In Belgium we have a difference between "ten minste houdbaar tot" meaning something like "you can keep it till at least" or "te gebruiken tot" meaning "to be used until" in the first date it means that you can eat it until that date but even afterwards, it's not that bad to eat. The second date usually means that food shouldn't be eaten after the date (even though you might do it if it's only a day or two)

[@nhanlam2571]

I read this once several years ago, and it has changed my perception of "spoiled" food ever since. I do notice expiry dates, but I trust my senses more. It makes me stop wasting a huge amount of food every week.

[@jaybarr3307]

Best By dates are not expiry dates.

[@amyrussell860]

Same.

[@Batmann_]

​@@jaybarr3307can't believe the video didn't really directly address this as the very first thing.

[@katrieladolphus920]

I have been saying this to my family for ages... I am sharing this video to everyone I know

[@afaris88]

I used to take foods for granted, like not finishing the foods when I didn't feel like it. But since I read an article about famine in third-world countries and how we should appreciate foods, I stopped wasting foods. It's the least I can do to be grateful for what I have. I also think that if all the edible wasted foods could be shared to those in needs, maybe the word "famine" won't even exist.

[@bluedoggo483]

im so grateful for this video, i had literally no idea about expiration dates and what do they mean. Me too i would throw away some milk if it got one day aftee its "expiration" date, but not anymore. I will now start to be more observant and give less attention to the "expiration" dates. Thank you!

[@Jensettiman]

In Norway, we've started labelling foods with "Best before, often good after"

[@chocothebananacat7686]

We have the same here in the UK. We either have "Best before" or "Use by" or no date at all

[@Tonyx.yt.]

in italy too "consumare preferibilmente entro" = preferably consume before, or "consumare entro" = consume before, but still most dont know the difference

[@interstellarsurfer]

Setting the expiration date early isn't about making the food taste better - it's about convincing the customer to throw it away and buy another one ASAP. 🙄

[@iam6424]

Yeah :-/

[@jyusatsu]

Yes it's all about how they can sell more 😒

[@aaronTGP_3756]

Kills 2 birds with one stone. Tastes better (so they will buy more), and they will throw more away (so they restock more often; i.e. they buy more).

[@YooSoham305]

Yupp, and with all that toxic chemicals and preservatives they use to make it fell fresh and edible.

[@strongwuk]

It's both.

[@skmuskantabasum4158]

This is so eye opening.

[@tahiria2270]

Now I watch this its rlly common seeing the different labels. I often see best by or use by on products. rlly good to know this

[@endarkculi]

I've done some volunteer work at my community's local Food Bank, and darn, I wish it was as simple as redistributing food to people that don't have it. We still throw out canned food that's more than six months past its labeled dates, but not just for safety reasons; preserving the dignity of the people that need that kind of assistance is a surprisingly high priority. Nobody wants to be the "beggar" in the phrase "beggars can't be choosers".

[@LeonardGreenpaw]

Dignity or food? Personally I'd take the food

[@jmckendry84]

@@LeonardGreenpaw easy to say when you've never been in the position of relying on donations.

[@yuptooyoungtoknowanything8654]

Dignity will not save you from dying of hunger. What's the use of dignity if you're dead?

[@DelphinusW]

@@yuptooyoungtoknowanything8654 Because mental well-being is also crucial to survival. Look up "give-up-itis" for an extreme example of this.

[@InfiniteDarkMass]

@@jmckendry84 lol, so me stocking up on cans while they're on sale and not even worrying about checking the date is okay, but when you can't even buy it it's undignified, huh? I guess at least some of those people got to where they are for the lack of common sense. That's where the "give-up-itis" comes from.

[@theragnarok13]

My grand-grand parents were living in a hunger times (pre-soviet and early soviet period). Thoughtful food consumption is taught to us, even young people (currently 30 yo) know how to properly store and prepare any type of food, even if it’s slightly past due date. Exception is meat, dairy produce, mushrooms and other things that actually might get poisoned. Fruits and veggies, even with visible defects (potatoes get a little dark or a little dry, onion that lost some moisture) - can be peeled and cooked thoroughly. I boil fruits with some sugar and get a tasty punch. Even old grapes can be dried in a shadow, on open air to get tasty raisins. I cook everything, never waste. When I buy meat - I use every piece of bone - to boil a nutritious broth. My grand parents and parents were even better at this.

[@Drobalar-Drsebi]

*MR OBALAR* ON KZbin CURED ME TOTALLY ❤..❤

[@joycejean-baptiste4355]

They told us, 'if in doubt throw it out.' Some dates are last sale dates. Some stores changed the eggs into a new box with the different date. Then they had food pantries to get food stuffs that were nearly expired or expired. Thanks for the video.

[@zoraey]

Canned food last VERY long. I had some canned veggies which had 2016 exp date. I opened and consumed it around 4 years later, the taste and texture didn't change at all (or at least very hard to notice). As long as the can looks fine and smells as it should, it's safe to eat.

[@Lucha045]

Wow! Stored for that long!

[@christianrowell1081]

I grew up in a single mother household who actually cooked food from scratch. McDonalds was a special occasion. I find absolutely sad that people don't know how to cook , tell if food can be used or not, and hate when people throw away perfectly good food. It's really sad

[@Ninjaeule97]

In Germany some company's have started adding the phrase 'often longer good' after the best by date. Supermarket also sell products at reduced prices when they are close to their best buy date so they don't get thrown out. I have never gotten sick from eating those even after that date passed, as long as they looked, smelled and tasted good.

[@sabina8207]

Same here. Figuring out whether food is good to eat is one of the best uses for our noses and mouths nowadays.

[@mcmerry2846]

Have been eating expired food for decades and I'm healthy af

[@AdamBechtol]

Indeed something more should learn about. I hate all kinds of waste. Food waste is quite upsetting.

[@sasinduprageeth3696]

So amazing and important video ❤❤ this is perfection ❤❤❤

[@benderoverify]

My aunt was super high up in the FDA and she always said the sell by date is just a recommendation for “most fresh” determined by the producers. Has nothing to do with safety, they just want you to toss it early and buy it again.

[@-Teague-]

That's depressing

[@dalilahdali6970]

Oh my

[@Drobalar-Drsebi]

*MR OBALAR* ON KZbin CURED ME TOTALLY ❤..❤

[@LL-pe2bd]

Just got a deal on free range eggs..only $2.99 a dozen down from $6.50 per dozen! Simply because their sell by date is 4 days away. Bought five dozen knowing they’ll be just fine. This family goes through eggs pretty fast, so we’ll be great. A win for this educated consumer! (Food is way too expensive nowadays to not take advantage!)

[@Drobalar-Drsebi]

*MR OBALAR* ON KZbin CURED ME TOTALLY ❤..❤

[@UrielManX7]

This made me reflex, and I noted that here on Mexico, they do use 2 different ways of labeling, either it says (roughly translated) "Consume preferably before [x]" or outright saying "Expiration date", and I guess I kinda figure it on my own one was for freshness, the other for safety, but I admit I haven't been discriminating between the 2, which now I'll do, because throwing food that's still good hurts the soul.

[@edgarjdq]

I had no idea food in USA had such ambiguous labeling, we only have 'expires in ' and some things also have the date it was packaged. Fruits and vegetables do not have plastic packages or labels here.

[@dominicmako4649]

Just like carbon emissions and plastic waste, the majority of this problem is not happening at the consumer level.

[@rahmaziad7457]

Absolutely! Reminds me of the thousands of donughts dunkin throws away😢

[@anonymous134y]

exactly. Not sure where this 37% stat came from at 0:30. 1 grocery store throws away more food in 1 day than i do in my whole life + the amount of food i eat in a year. Grocery stores and restaurants make up like 97% of food waste. Much like plastic straws are not the issue.

[@No-xs1no]

​@@anonymous134y 97%? Where did you get that number? Households waste about 40-50%

[@somethang2865]

"This is not happening at the consumer level" is the classical "not my problem" approach - on average people dump at home just shy of half what they buy. "But restaurants and stores waste more" isn't an excuse. Also the only reason stores throw away so much is because we refuse to buy the last banged up apple in the bin.

[@LughSummerson]

@@No-xs1no 106.3% of statistics in internet comments are pulled out of the commenters' hats.

[@sairamsk3206]

If pasta, honey, flour, millet, grains, or rice are stored properly these can be stored indefinitely without health risks and becoming stale. A proper air-tight container in a moist-free area makes perfect conditions for storing indefinitely.

[@dawnriddler]

These usually last for a year or so, and you'll probably eat them way before their exp date.

[@sairamsk3206]

@@dawnriddler I mean in large amounts and pasta, honey, flour, millet, grains, or rice last more than 1 year. Don't be simple.

[@dawnriddler]

@@sairamsk3206 that's what "or so" means

[@mcmerry2846]

Well, those dried things could survive a nuclear wat

[@mcmerry2846]

​@@sairamsk3206 honey has no expiration date

[@acintoli]

In Europe we use "Best Before" and "Use preferably by" and "Use by" labels for all packaged dry foods. Expiration date applies to packaged perishables (fresh foods) and medications. Unpackaged food is still evaluated by smell and touch (with gloves).

[@rafiahmed7355]

Totally agree. I always told my family the same fact. Thanks for uploading this video. You really did great service to preserving food. I feel so much pain when throwing unused food. I think of millions of underprivileged human in word who sleep with their hungry children many nights. God Bless you all.

[@JuuzouRCS]

Carolyn Beans has such an amazing voice which makes these lessons even greater than they already are!

[@wm3709]

I live in Australia and the fact that the US only has a best before date is ridiculous. Here in aus, if something has a use-by, we don't consume it after that date (or maybe a day after if it smells/looks fine). If it has a best before date we automatically know that the date of consumption is not a health concern, and many of us are happy eating foods far past their best before date. It must be really annoying having to judge every piece of food (especially the packaged ones) to determine if it will go off, or just taste worse after the best before.

[@avantgardener7493]

You're right but a lot of us still eat after use by date. Myself and most of my friends and family employ the if it looks fine, tastes fine and smells fine test over any dates written on the product

[@JukuduB]

My aunt would keep meds beyond the expiration date (especially antibiotics). We definitely took them, got better and saved money by not running to the doctor every 5 minutes. I now even purchase medicines internationally when I travel. It saves me so much money. 💯

[@PRERNAKASHYAP]

Love the entire animation - this style is among my favourite types of cartoons

[@storeroom1503]

Worked at Disney and I swear the amount of food thrown away everyday is beyond imaginable. Beyonddddd imaginable!

[@yell0wberry]

What a lot of people don’t realize, is that there is no such thing as wasted food in any stretch of the imagination. A lot of folks are just way too lazy to put it to better use, the stuff can be broken down into compost and used to feed animals, as well as Used to grow other plants, fruits, and vegetables.

[@tabletface6982]

@@yell0wberry I wish more people did that. 😢

[@AdamBechtol]

I bet :(

[@CAMSLAYER13]

​@@yell0wberryit is a waste. We already have as much inedible fertiliser as we want. A lot of effort goes into growing, processing and shipping the food, thats a massive waste of time and resources for a compost pile, which the you'd have to put your own time into to get back where you started. Composting is good and all but buying excess food and composting whats left is inefficient.

[@yell0wberry]

@@CAMSLAYER13 is definitely not inefficient at all, it’s a matter of what you use it on. Coming up with fertilizer to grow foods is probably not very healthy, long-term. The stuff can be thrown into any type of situation, you’re trying to grow, I use it quite often, and it works for me very well, I have a nice scenery where I live that everyone else caught on to the idea, so you already know what to do with your so-called science, and yes, I will reiterate, there is absolutely positively undoubtably no such thing as a wasted food

[@sunahamanagai9039]

It's very hard to convince people that a lot of food are safe to eat even past those dates. It's be good if there's a video on medication expiration dates, too.

[@fahriagung-_.]

2:25 bacteria: "uhh not again >:[" 🤣

[@nailahdawkins]

This is why composting is important and also not over buying food your food, buying specialized (or food that's a niche but you don't buy regularly - think cheeses, meals, etc), use grocery lists, and never buy food when you are already hungry.

[@nullnullsjo]

My grandfather had a grocery shop, so my family grew up on whatever had expired and wouldn't sell, so we were taught to use our senses, rather than the 'best before'. So I've never r understood people throwing away perfectly good food. So I'm glad that the 'best before, not bad after' stamps that have becoming more common here in Norway.

[@esamazing809]

Thank you for this video! The topic reminds me about my essay I recently wrote for my german exam. In Germany, you can find remarks on how products are much longer good than the expiration date states, on some products at least. It's something like "No need to throw them away if they're expired. You can make sure to watch them, smell them and taste them to see if they're still good to consume". Of course, there are some expections as in the video, but I wish for people to rely more on their instincts. And to buy not too much food so that it becomes a waste. It's a privilege to have enough food on the table, thus we should appreciate it.

[@spencers4121]

I worked in a grocery store produce in the 90's, every night produce had about 1-2 shopping carts full of food to toss. Bakery / deli was about 1 cart a night, and maybe twice a week they would have 2-4 carts. Meat was about 1 cart a night, this was mostly scrap cuts. The meat guys would always take the "expired" meat home.

[@woozieeyer9814]

very informative,thanks for the vid

[@jonboybluegaming]

Use By is the only one you need. I don’t like that we have this “Best Before” stuff cuz people do assume it’s problematic when in reality unless the product is Meat (that wasn’t frozen) or Dairy you’re almost always safe

[@wm3709]

Best before will always be a thing cause it's useful to know when a product will drop in quality (both for the supermarkets and the people) - but yes we could live without it (if use-by is used) - removing it would save a lot of waste cause with forcing a use-by label on everything, people would realise how long their packaged foods last before going off. I think the best solution should be to have a best before and a use-by label on everything.

[@angrynoodletwentyfive6463]

@@wm3709 Yeah nobody wants to buy a product that is already stale, alot of stores near me have switched to a "sell by" date instead of a "best if used by" as that indicates that it will still be good for awhile after said date better.

[@jessicaharris1608]

There's a convenience store chain that is famous for its locally produced dairy. I try to always buy my milk from there and ice cream (unless I make my own ice cream). Milk is still safe to consume if it's only sour. (It can be used as buttermilk in pancakes when it does go sour.) I NEVER store my milk on the door of the fridge so it stays fresher longer. I've drank milk that's NOT sour like 2 weeks after the carton date from them. I will only dare that with their milk as when I buy milk from the grocery store, it never lasts much past the carton date. Stewart's dairy for the win! (If anyone knows that chain of stores, go try their ice cream that still comes in real half gallon sizes!)

[@cccyanide3034]

In my country we already have those two sentences "To consume before" and "Best consumed before" (I'm French, so the second sentence is actually much longer and the difference is more obvious). A lot of people still throw food away, but it's always good to be able to know that.

[@imanepink]

Yeah. In the UK we have “best before” and “use buy”.

[@linn2527]

I've seen a product say: ''Best before [date] Often good after'' Which made me realize that it's like that with all products

[@annai157]

I'm horrified to see volunteers at local food pantries throw away perfectly good food, while the local poor go hungry. I've even heard them say, "We can't risk getting sued!" : (

[@spankynater4242]

Tell him to grow a pair.

[@kenneth9874]

In this sue happy world he's correct

[@Eric-zx2wk]

I've done work with food service and groceries before. They're motivated to set dates later because there is a direct relation between the total shelf life of a product and the loss associated with shelf spoilage. Even a couple days longer can result in 5-10% more margin on a product. Ideally, you want the absolute longest dates possible that won't impact the customer's buying negatively. This is especially true in environs where customers can "shop" dates or simply skip past forward products that are approaching their dates.

[@blaze556922]

The fact that all that food isn't donated already is disgustingly alarming. My mom once got in trouble for giving food to homeless people that was going to be thrown in a dumpster at her job

[@jaypz7781]

just because they are homeless doesn't mean they don't get food poisoned. companies are also playing safe on this. they would rather throw food away than get sued if someone gets food poisoned by the leftover food. it is not the food per se that is dangerous, it is the way that it is already mishandled when it becomes leftover that could compromise the safety.

[@akj3344]

@@jaypz7781 Yes I agree. Companies can be sued if the person gets food poisoning.

[@gamegeekx]

Ikr. This world is really f... up if they throw away edible food like that. I mean they are going to throw it away anyways, why not give them away or the bare minimum sell it 90% off?

[@TomCruz54321]

Yeah in my country it is the norm to donate food instead of throwing it in the bin. Imagine the culture shock when I saw people throwing fresh fruits and veggies in the bin. They looked at me like I was crazy, and in my mind I was thinking "No you're the crazy one!". I guess when people grow up in a specific culture, they think it's the norm and everyone else is the weird one.

[@kichigan1]

I just learned that Salt never goes bad and I know potatoes never die. I work for a company that provides me housing, but I have decided not to have a fridge. Weird, I know, It's just I want to eat things that are fresh and that don't need to be frozen. Plus, a lot of my co-workers want to drink and expect me to have a fridge for their beers and snacks. Great show, I learned a lot. By the way, beer will be good on room temperature up to a year.

[@arianathetechie]

This was so good! I almost through a way an entire bin filled with grilled chicken, that had no bad odor or taste because it was past the due date. Will keep and eat over the next few days instead.

[@LordZombieZanetta]

I have been tryin to explain this for years, this will help my argument. Thank you for making this informative video.

[@nerd26373]

This is insightful and informative. Topics like these are enlightening to learn more about on depth.

[@mr.b3168]

It was posted a minute ago. How tf u see it all

[@spungbopscarepans]

@@mr.b3168 wait this is new?!

[@mr.b3168]

@@spungbopscarepans 2 hours ago it was. Yes

[@mensur_2149]

​@@spungbopscarepans I was surprised too

[@feddi7693]

@@mr.b3168 🤣

[@jameseddy6835]

Thanks for telling the truth.

[@Darkangelike]

I am from France and during Covid, near my place where I live, I discovered this association that was picking up "expired" food about to be thrown away by shops. And then they would distribute it to those in need like students, single parents, retired people etc... We got tons of bread daily, which was not exactly fresh but still good to eat, dry food like pasta or crisps, a lot of drinks too. Many shops are fined on their waste weight so they are reluctant to throw away and instead stock the unsold food as long as they can. Upon being able to donate to association, they avoid the fine so it is a good thing overall. A lot of shops still throw away food and even make then impossible to recover by spraying detergent on them, to deter people from picking them up and always coming around, and/or to avoid legal issues if someone ate the thrown away food and sued them.

[@diesel_dawg]

I hate food waste, and will use as much as something as I can. For eggs, I use the "float test". I love checking out supermarket reduced to clear sections. Lots of great food can be found there!

[@b_uppy]

They should have both best by, and use by labels sit side by side to take out guesswork, *as well as note a separate optimal nutrition date.* Identify by issues.

[@janhvinarayan1633]

wasting food should be penalised

[@Anwarthedreamahmed]

The animation is just so entertaining. Thanks for the extra effort. 😅❤

[@NoirAtrum]

The animation on this is absolutely amazing.

[@whuspr]

My family and I pickup food for a food bank / ministry from stores that donate past date foods. We get a LOT of stuff ranging in the hundreds of lbs most often. I wish more stores did this.

[@rinagindi6886]

Very educating and helpful, thank you!!

[@mixedprincess91]

*helpful. Thank

[@LifeYourMind]

TED-Ed's animation never FAILS to AMAZE me!! ❤

[@RichChh]

Eyes, taste and smell can be trained too. After I started fermenting cabbage and other food items, the smell of fermenting fruits were no longer an indicator of 'danger' but just a change in taste. When I bought full cream milk last month, and didn't have time to drink it out, after it separated, I made cheese out of it.

[@sherena5450]

Thank you Ted!

[@mattlawson714]

I live in Austin, where HEB is basically the only grocery store. I buy so much stuff at 50% off because it’s “too old”. Not meat or cheese. It’s fine. Just store it properly and eat it within the next 4 days.

[@Daniel-yg9sf]

In the Netherlands there are already two expiry dates, 'use before' and 'best before'. A product with a use before date shouldn't be consumed after that date, e.g. meat, precut vegetables, etc. Or you could store it in the freezer. Best before is used for foods that aren't likely to spoil quickly.

[@queen.hellkitten]

fun fact, i work at an aldi store in iowa, and we have specific guidelines for donating food to ensure we pass along as much as possible. ANY food that is perfectly good, but that customers are unlikely to buy, is supposed to be donated. (e.g., a box of crackers with the cardboard box ripped, but the inner plastic completely intact). we also freeze all bread and meat on its sell-by date, or if we notice it within a few days of the date, these also all get donated. (yes it is still perfectly edible). tbh aldi is actually a pretty good place to shop, ethics-wise. i know i’m biased, but we donate all the unsold food we are able, as well as non-food items if possible (e.g., toilet paper where there’s a small tear in the packaging, or shampoo where the lid is broken but seal is still fine) and employees get living wages and paid breaks. the starting salary for any store associate, including part time, is $16.50 right now, at least where i am. i’m part time, but from what i’ve heard the benefits for full timers are pretty good. they get pto, optional insurance, etc.

[@foty8679]

Thats what happens if you work for a german company :)

[@horridhenryspodcast2512]

thank you ted

[@serophina2857]

I’ve 100% eaten a bag of cereal well past it’s best by date and it tasted EXACTLY the same as the new bag. Never had issues with eggs kept a bit longer than the weeks labeled “Good”, and I’ve never had issues with dry, pantry goods.

[@cyin974]

I think planning your purchases is simply the best way to prevent food wastes, even if you get to put a more accurate expiration date people will still waste the same amount of food since they are still not eating them in time.