Expired food or medical products-how old is too really too old

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Ever buy expired food or medical products? How old is really too old? The oldest or expired product you ever used?

In recent times I've found my self buying more expired product and/or damaged boxes in particular. I have had good luck(knock on wood) with cereal, pretzels etc. As long as the seal is good on the actual package plastics they seem ok. Same for some expired canned goods and even some refrigerated cartons of juice.

I've used some expired expired otc med like motrin, tylenol, allergy meds. I've also found bottles packages with deteriorating pills. And the that's the true test-the integrity of the pill. There's usually signs of aging like color and texture changes.

Recently saw anti bacterial ointments like neosporin for a dollar but it 4 years past date. The packaging looks brand new. Also I've noticed band aids can deteriorate fast even if box barely used(keep in plasitic container or first aid kid. Bathroom moisture can get to packaging over time.

How accurate are expiration dates or are the cya numbers for the company.
 

I found some night time liquid cold medication in the cupboard that was expired over 6, probably pushing 7 years. I took it, it worked and I was fine the next morning.

I purchased some Ripple non dairy half and half (best for coffee since Trader Joe's discontinued their soy coffee creamer) I paid full price at the health food store and was a bit upset when I noticed it was going to expire in a couple of days, after I got it home. I mix it with non dairy barista milk so it takes 3-4 weeks to go through the container. Kept in the fridge, it never went bad. Probably because it's non dairy.

I found a can of cat food that was expired well over a year. I gave it to the ferals. They are still alive.
 

RadishRose said:
When it seems you are in the bathroom forever or you're in the emergency room, it was "too old".
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No I've found storing stuff like band aid in the medicine cabinet they deteriorate faster than in a drawer or closet. Humidity levels in bathrooms change from showers, baths. So does the temperature. Moisture and temp changes seem to take a quick toll on some things.
 
Earlier this year Mrs.L and I visited the fish canning museum in Stavanger. It was fascinating and explained the evolution of food canning.
We were told that when food is properly processed and canned, it has a long life - well in excess of 50 years, although its appearance may deteriorate. One remarkable exhibit was a tin of beef that had been on Scott's ill fated expedition to Antarctica. This had been tested and found that it had no bacteria, though in a poor condition.
 
I don't pay a lot of attention to "use by" dates on most things. If it's food... canned I can tell if it's spoiled, and 99% of the time it's fine even long past the date. Frozen things are fine as long as they last... if it smells like freezer burn, I toss it because the smell is disgusting even if the food would still be okay. Last week I made a turkey tenderloin that had been in the freezer for 2 years past the use by date... it was as good as new.

OTC meds... same thing. If they don't work like they always did before, out they go. Otherwise I use them. I'm still using a tin of smoked paprika I bought in 2015... no issues at all.
 
I’ve used cold meds, especially things like the hot drinks and cough drops, and they’ve been fine. If something has been opened, it really deteriorates, imo.

Many years ago I borrowed dh’s soothing eye drops. He insisted they were fine, even though they’d been open and were out of date. They did nothing for my eyes so I bought new drops, which miraculously worked.
 
I don't remember where I read this but I once read most prescriptions are fine a year past expiration date. It was on a medical site, but that's all I remember.
 
I've heard nurses and a doctor being interviewed on T.V. say that medications can be good for up to a year after their expiration dates. My Kirkland acetaminophen is certainly a testament to that. I bought a big bottle simply because 500 of that brand was about the same price as 50 Tylenol. The expiration date was April 2018, yet the last time I took two tablets, a couple of months ago, my headache cleared up quickly.

I've never bought expired food, but I've used food past their "best by" dates. Ritz crackers last a very long time past their BB date when kept in the fridge. I notice Kirkland (Costco) yogurt which comes in a 32 oz container has a "Sell by" date. When to stop using it is sure up to interpretation but generally your nose and tastebuds will let you know when to discard any product. Still I try to use the yogurt by the sell by date. Here's an article with info on how long you can use common foods past their "expiration" dates. I've tried the egg trick and it works; so does refrigerating bread.
https://www.foodnetwork.ca/article/10-foods-you-can-eat-after-the-expiry-date/
 
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hollydolly said:
My doctor told me that unless otherwise stated, most medication is good for at least 3 years past it's sell by date

I use headache pills etc a year past their date...
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Check my post #12 about my "headache pills" HD! :D Three years expiration for prescription medications! That's very interesting.
 
Some foods may safely be consumed after their “Best Buy” dates, but may not be as tasty. Potato salad, of course, becomes quite dangerous when it goes bad…and bananas too go rotten! So don’t contribute to the delinquency of foodstuffs… 🙀

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