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Dangers of Expired Food Mix

Nearly every piece of food sold in a store comes with an expiration date, including canned food and food mixes. Stores typically rotate stock, making sure older foods are sold before newer ones and that expired foods are not left sitting on the shelves. Many stores place foods on sale or clearance once the food approaches its expiration date. Eating an expired food mix comes with certain problems.

  1. Changes in Taste

    • When you use an expired food mix, you risk losing the original taste of the mix. As the mix sits on the shelves, it begins losing its original flavor. The food can take on a slightly metallic taste, especially if you use a mix stored in aluminum cans. For dried cake mixes, bread mixes and any type of mix stored in a plastic bag, the finished product can develop a slightly plastic or bitter aftertaste. Beware of boxes left sitting on a shelf facing a window and boxes that have a faded label due to sun exposure, as the problem is worse in those products.

    Listeria

    • Listeria is a type of infection caused by eating some expired foods. The bacteria are commonly found in animal products, including uncooked meat and unpasteurized cheese, as well as some other types of meats and milk products. It's less likely to occur in food mixes because the mixes use processed foods. Those with weakened immune systems, including those with diabetes, children and the elderly, are more at risk of developing a Listeria-based illness.

    Prevention

    • When you buy and keep food mixes in your home, make sure that you rotate your stock just as the stores rotate old and new stock. Every time you bring a new product into your home, place it behind the older products. If an expiration date is listed on the packaging, then write that date on the front of the box in large letters, using a black marker. Rewriting the date makes it easier to find the date and use it before it reaches the expiration date.

    Considerations

    • The date listed on the product may not indicate the actual expiration date of the product. Often manufacturers list a sell-by date and not an expiration date. The sell-by date indicates when the store should sell the item and indicates when it reaches its freshness date. Always read the date carefully and look for a sell by or expiration phrase near the date.

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