Expiring food

Many people don't forget to glance at the expiration date before consuming that yogurt or milk in their fridge.
Many people also immediately throw it away if its even slightly past the expiration date.
"About 40 percent of foods produced in the United States won't be consumed,  tens of millions of pounds of food are wasted each year, much of it because of the date on the package.
"After that 'use by' date, it doesn't mean that the product isn't safe anymore.It just means that the quality of the product is starting to deteriorate.   The trick is to know the difference between the 'use by' and the 'sell by' date; the latter typically only applies to retailers looking out for their own quality assurance. It does not mean,  that you should immediately throw the product out if the date is already past.
 The date that it expires is the date that the product is at its highest quality,
Milk is good for pretty much five to seven days after the 'use by' date, Same thing with yogurt; that's typically good one to two weeks after the 'use by' date  open yogurt containers should be disposed of two weeks after opening.
Experts said food waste has become such a problem, Congress is considering creating a national standard for food labeling, which aims to cut down on the confusion of when a product is safe to eat or when it is not.
While people shouldn't immediately dispose of foods past the package date,   it is important to do a smell test before consuming.
Produce is especially important to keep an eye on.
Once the quality does start to deteriorate you can always freeze your produce If you have some blueberries that seem to be deteriorating, go ahead and throw them in a muffin, bake it."