Most people don’t knowingly risk food poisoning by eating expired food, but almost all of us have experienced it at some point. It’s so horrible that we don’t even want to talk about those dark 24 hours spent hovering over the toilet. But at the same time, Americans waste an insane amount of food every year, and part of that is “expired” food that is actually still perfectly fine to eat.
Food manufacturers put expiration dates on food to protect themselves in the event that someone becomes sick after eating their product. But that’s not the only reason. Those “Best By” dates usually refer to the range in which the manufacturer thinks their food tastes the best, not when the food becomes unsafe.