Expired or nearly expired foods are cheaper, but are they safe?

Usually, people who have low incomes can’t afford to do all of their shopping at normal grocery stores. However, a recent online survey by WalletHub found that 68% of Americans feel inflation most in their monthly grocery bills. This means that more people are looking for ways to save money. Over the past year, grocery prices went up 10.9% in October, which is more than the 7.7% rise in overall costs.

People who find that switching to cheaper brands aren’t enough to lower their food bills in a time of the highest inflation in a generation are now looking for out-of-date and soon-to-expire items. These items were once seen as trash or unsafe.

Food waste due to expirations dates

Outdated foods are those that have passed their expiration dates, while short-dated foods have less than 30 days left before they go bad.

Even though eating old or soon-to-expire food sounds gross, it’s safe and a good way to save money and cut down on food waste. According to ReFED, a group that works to stop food loss and waste, nearly 40%, or 108 billion pounds, of food is wasted in the United States every year. The group said that stores throw out half of the food they buy because they don’t think they can sell it before the “use by,” “best by,” or “sell by” dates.

Is it safe to consume outdated or almost expired foods?

Yes, but they might not taste as great as if you ate them earlier.

Consumers often feel that expired items are no longer edible. According to the Food Marketing Institute, around 80% of Americans throw away food early owing to uncertainty over date labeling.