Call 911 if:

1. Control Nausea and Vomiting. Avoid solid foods until vomiting ends. Then eat light, bland foods, such as saltine crackers, bananas, rice, or bread.
2. Prevent Dehydration. Drink clear fluids, starting with small sips and gradually drinking more.
3. When to Call a Doctor.

Foods past their prime often develop mold, bacteria, and yeast, causing them to give warning signs to your senses. Spoiled food will usually look different in texture and color, smell unpleasant, and taste bad before it becomes unsafe to eat.

Consuming the expired foods (probably) won’t kill you, but it might not taste the absolute best. Here are some of the most important foods where expiration literally means everything. Unless, y’know, you’re looking forward to a massive stomachache in your future.

“If you do eat a food past the expiration date [and the food] is spoiled, you could develop symptoms of food poisoning,” said registered dietitian nutritionist Summer Yule, MS. The symptoms of foodborne illness can include fever, chills, stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

This Is How Long After The Best Before Date You Can Safely Eat The Food In Your Fridge

• Milk, opened or unopened: 7 days.
• Yogurt, opened or unopened: 1 to 2 weeks.
• Butter, opened or unopened: 4 weeks.
• Eggs, in shell: 3 weeks.
• Salsa, opened: 1 to 2 weeks.
• Hummus, opened: 4 to 6 days.
• Crackers: 2 to 4 weeks.

The expiry date of canned foods usually indicates three years from when it’s been shelved, but you can consume them past the date for up to four more years. Make sure to keep your canned goods in a cool, dry spot though — and if there are any dents, rust or leaking, that’s when it’s time to ditch the goods.

Use by. You’ll see “use by” dates on food that goes off quickly, such as smoked fish, meat products and ready-prepared salads. Don’t use any food or drink after the end of the “use by” date on the label, even if it looks and smells fine. This is because using it after this date could put your health at risk.

If stored properly, food will be good even after its expiration date. Most expiration dates are “largely made up,” Business Insider notes. Food consumed after its expiration date might not be harmful to the body, assuming it has been stored properly, and bacteria likely hasn’t had time to start growing.

Tortilla chips aren’t going to make you sick after a month, says Gunders, although they might start tasting stale. Putting them in an oven with oil will re-crisp them again, while storing in a sealed container extends their life by keeping moisture out.

In most cases, eating expired chips won’t make you sick. There is a high chance that you won’t like their taste and throw them away, tho. Chips contain a high amount of sodium (salt), making them have a longer shelf life. If you store them properly, they may taste the same even after one year.

about 2 to 3 months

If unopened and stored properly, dark chocolate lasts 2 years (from the day it was made). If opened, but still stored properly, the rule of thumb is one year. As for milk and white chocolate bars, the time available is cut in half. One year if unopened and stored properly, and 6-8 months if opened and stored properly.

Eating expired candy cannot kill you. Although certain sweets like chocolates can be fine in the refrigerator, except for those with nuts and dried fruits. Any product that contains a large amount of sugar, such as jars of jam or honey, is safe if eaten after the expiration date.

Expired candy can also carry microbes that can make you sick. Aramouni, who studies food safety and food allergies in his lab, said that there have even been cases of salmonella poisoning from the consumption of old chocolate. A general rule of thumb is that the softer the candy, then the shorter its shelf life.

Cocoa powder doesn’t spoil so it won’t cause you to become ill. Instead, it starts to lose potency over time. Cooks Illustrated conducted a test to determine if cocoa still tasted good months and years after it’s considered expired.

What happens if you eat bad chocolate? If it tastes or smells really bad, or has stuff growing on it, don’t eat it. Chocolate doesn’t go bad like meat does, so it’s likely to be safe to eat if it was stored properly. The chocolate will taste dry and brittle and you may not like it, but it won’t make you sick.

In general, chocolate tastes its yummiest before its best by date (and even a little after), but it’s safe to eat for way longer. If the package is unopened, it can last for months past its expiration date if it’s been stored at room temperature, or even longer if it’s been in the fridge.

How long can you eat chocolate after the expiration date?

meaning to say, you can still an expired chocolate as long as it is clean. Eating chocolate that has a white coating on it will make your stomach feel upset and can possibly give you nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

Pantry checklist

• Milk: Up to 1 week unopened.
• Eggs: Up to 1 month.
• Meat, chicken, fish: 3-4 days and up to 6-9 months in the freezer.
• Nuts: Will have an extended shelf life of up to 12 months in the fridge.
• Sauces: Most should be used within 6 months.
• Seafood: 2-3 days in the fridge and 2-3 months in the freezer.

When it comes to items like Hershey’s Kisses, the candy buy-and-hoard contingent is in luck. “They generally have a shelf life of up to 11 months,” Lingeris said. “Chocolate products will maintain their quality if stored in a cool, dry place (55-60 degrees F).”

First Consider the Flavor of Expired Chocolate The bad flavors will still show through even if you use it in baking or frosting. I would throw it out if it tastes funny. It is still safe to eat, but the off flavor will not be disguised. If it is dark chocolate, however, you may have some luck.

Best By

Refrigerating & Freezing For longer storage, wrap and seal in plastic wrap, then place in freezer bags. Place in freezer for up to 3-6 months.

According to this 2000 article from Penn State News, the butyric acid comes from not the chocolate, but the milk in the chocolate. As fatty acids in milk decompose, in a process called lipolysis, you’ll end up with that rancid taste.

The broken tips were the cause of a bizarre scandal during the holiday season, as bakers complained the imperfection harmed the presentation of cookies and other sweet treats. Hershey now says it has identified the production issue and proper, fully formed Kisses will be rolling out soon.

Yes, you can freeze peanut butter, and you shouldn’t lose any flavor or compromise the texture either. It likely won’t extend the life of your peanut butter beyond what storing it in the fridge or even your cupboard would do, however, so it may not be worth it.

Freezing an entire, unopened jar We do not advise freezing peanut butter in glass jars. This is because substances expand as they freeze, putting the sides of the jar under excess pressure.

In the pantry, commercial peanut butters may last 6–24 months unopened, or 2–3 months once opened. Natural peanut butters may last several months unopened, or up to a month once opened. Placing peanut butter in the fridge can extend its shelf life.

The conventional wisdom seems to be that freezing will cause the oils and solids in your peanut butter to separate, and once they’ve separated, you won’t be able to emulsify them again after it’s defrosted. Bad news on this front, frozen peanut butter just tastes like really cold peanut butter.