# I can never remember what those expiration dates mean... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 7, 2014, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-never-remember-what-those-expiration-dates-mean/692506 "2014-07-07T00:44:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2014, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-never-remember-what-those-expiration-dates-mean/692506/1 "2014-07-07T00:44:08Z")
I have an unopened bottle of ranch dressing in my cabinet that I didn’t get to for longer than I thought, so its expiration date (I forget how it’s phrased) is last month. Normally, I’d not think twice about it, but it’s both one of those larger bottles and, as ranch dressing, dairy based. What’s the word on whether I should use it in a situation like this? ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-never-remember-what-those-expiration-dates-mean/692506/2 "2014-07-07T00:48:09Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > I have an unopened bottle of ranch dressing in my cabinet that I didn’t get to for longer than I thought, so its expiration date (I forget how it’s phrased) is last month. Normally, I’d not think twice about it, but it’s both one of those larger bottles and, as ranch dressing, dairy based. > > What’s the word on whether I should use it in a situation like this? Iwouldn’t worry about it if it is this year’s. Most of that stuff is just to sell more food. They even put expiration dates on water. How does water go bad? HUH? ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2014, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-never-remember-what-those-expiration-dates-mean/692506/3 "2014-07-07T00:55:58Z")
The “expiration date” is not the date that the product rots, but is instead the last date it can be legally sold as fresh. Depending on the product, it can be good days, weeks, or even months later. In my house, we call it the “rot date” anyway, just because. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2014, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-never-remember-what-those-expiration-dates-mean/692506/4 "2014-07-07T01:16:37Z")
There is one and only one thing you need to know for milk and the like. If it looks and smells good, it’s good. If it looks or smells bad, it’s bad. This is true, in both directions, regardless of what the expiration date says. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2014, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-never-remember-what-those-expiration-dates-mean/692506/5 "2014-07-07T01:26:31Z")
Yeah, but I’ve found such judgments are subjective. I’m sure I’ve tossed a lot of milk over the years that was actually good, but that I threw away because of that “rule.” So I’d rather have a “better” rule, if one exists. ---
**Author:** ![Achren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@Achren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achren)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2014, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-never-remember-what-those-expiration-dates-mean/692506/6 "2014-07-07T01:44:52Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > There is one and only one thing you need to know for milk and the like. If it looks and smells good, it’s good. If it looks or smells bad, it’s bad. This is true, in both directions, regardless of what the expiration date says. I remember taking brand new, pre-expiration date milk out of the fridge, shaking it and thinking, “That sounds kinda odd”; opening it up, “And it smells bad, hmmm…”. I’m not sure how, but the milk had partially, I’m not sure, curdled? There were chunks. Most disgusting thing I’ve seen in a “should still be good” food. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2014, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-never-remember-what-those-expiration-dates-mean/692506/7 "2014-07-07T02:14:10Z")
[eatbydate.com](http://eatbydate.com) says that [ranch dressing](http://www.eatbydate.com/other/condiments/bottled-salad-dressing-shelf-life-expiration-date/)should last 1-2 months past the expiration date. Yesterday I made mac and cheese with butter that had a May date (it looked and smelled fine), and I seem to have survived without any ill effects. My issue is usually that I purchase dairy products (milk, cream cheese, yogurt) on the way home from work, and then forget to refrigerate. If it’s been more than about 2 hours, I generally toss. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2014, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-never-remember-what-those-expiration-dates-mean/692506/8 "2014-07-07T03:04:39Z")
Oh, and not that anyone asked, but the rule for eggs is even simpler. For eggs, the rule is that if you have to ask, they’re fine. You will never, not once in your lifetime, accidentally eat an egg that’s too old. You just might, in your lifetime, if you’re unlucky, crack open an egg that’s too old, but if so, I guarantee you won’t accidentally eat it. Eggs are good for weeks with no refrigeration at all, and for many months in the fridge, and when they go bad, you’ll know it. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2014, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-never-remember-what-those-expiration-dates-mean/692506/9 "2014-07-07T03:06:07Z")
I’m eating from a tub of yoghurt which “expired” a month ago. It takes no different from one which doesn’t expire until next week and I’ve had no ill effects from eating it. I know you weren’t asking about yoghurt but I agree with the poster who said that it’s a ploy to sell more stuff. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2014, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-never-remember-what-those-expiration-dates-mean/692506/10 "2014-07-07T03:13:01Z")
> [@Achren](#): > > I remember taking brand new, pre-expiration date milk out of the fridge, shaking it and thinking, “That sounds kinda odd”; opening it up, “And it smells bad, hmmm…”. I’m not sure how, but the milk had partially, I’m not sure, curdled? There were chunks. Most disgusting thing I’ve seen in a “should still be good” food. I’ve had that happen, too. Luckily I still had my receipt and the store gave me a refund. ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-never-remember-what-those-expiration-dates-mean/692506/11 "2014-07-07T03:21:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > There is one and only one thing you need to know for milk and the like. If it looks and smells good, it’s good. If it looks or smells bad, it’s bad. This is true, in both directions, regardless of what the expiration date says. So\*\* if \*\*the OP was asking about milk you’d be the guy .😕 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2014, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-never-remember-what-those-expiration-dates-mean/692506/12 "2014-07-07T04:25:22Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > There is one and only one thing you need to know for milk and the like. If it looks and smells good, it’s good. If it looks or smells bad, it’s bad. This is true, in both directions, regardless of what the expiration date says. > [@donkeyoatey](#): > > So\*\* if \*\*the OP was asking about milk you’d be the guy .😕 Well, ranch dressing _does_ have buttermilk in it, so yeah, **chronos** would be the guy. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2014, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-never-remember-what-those-expiration-dates-mean/692506/13 "2014-07-07T07:58:19Z")
There’s this website: > **[How Long Does Food Last? Guide to Shelf Life & Expiration](http://www.eatbydate.com/)** > > How long does food last - past its printed date? Information on sell-by, use-by, best-by and other dates and how to calculate the actual shelf life of food I’m pretty picky about that stuff, but at the same time, with any packaged shelf-stable item, I assume it has plenty of time past the ‘best by’ date. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-never-remember-what-those-expiration-dates-mean/692506/14 "2014-07-08T01:18:01Z")
When ranch dressing goes bad, the component that goes bad is the milk. So yes, the same rule applies. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-never-remember-what-those-expiration-dates-mean/692506/15 "2014-07-08T15:39:16Z")
The local “bent and dent” sells ranch dressing months after its expiration date. It’s fine for consumption. The problem you may run into is an “old” taste. I don’t know how to describe it well, but it doesn’t taste anything like spoiled milk, and it happens even to items that are not milk based. I guess I’d describe it as going stale and losing certain flavors. But that’s not the full extent of it.