A.In general，the dates on the food—other than infant formula and baby food—are set for quality，rather than safety purposes. B.but what if experts say consuming foods past their expiration dates isn't always bad？ C.To optimize quality and shelf life and avoid food waste，proper storage is crucial. D.but does that mean people should toss them out the second that date passes？ E.There's no hard and fast rule，and it's more important to pay attention to how long since the food was bought and whether it was kept in proper conditions. F.In fact，a lot of the time consumers aren't able to see（or even taste）harmful bacteria that could be living on the expired food.

Food Might Still Be Okay Longer Than You Think Many products often come with expiration dates to indicate a predetermined shelf life，like food and medicine.Once the indicated date has passed，these products are generally deemed unfit for use or consumption—（1）

B

B

   According to the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency，the average person generated about 2.68 pounds of municipal solid waste per day in the 1960s，which include food，plastic，and paper waste.This amount increased to =4.74 pounds in the 2000s，finally reaching 4.9 pounds in 2018.The disposal of expired but usable or consumable goods can contribute to overall waste.By minimizing this，an individual may be able to reduce the amount of waste they produce.
   Here's what expiration dates generally mean for various products and when consumers can safely overlook them.For most products，the date on the packaging label is not an expiration date，but a 'best by' or 'sell by' date，says Londa Nwadike，extension associate professor of food safety at the Kansas State University and the University of Missouri. （2）

A

A

   Although expired food may not be at its peak deliciousness，it should still be safe to consume.（3）

E

E

If a product is discolored，moldy，abnormally soft，or it generally looks and/or smells bad，throw it out immediately—no matter how carefully it was stored.
   （4）

C

C

Perishable foods should be kept in the refrigerator or the freezer to avoid spoilage.Foods that do not require refrigeration for safety have lower risk and they can generally be consumed safely longer，she adds.For instance，dry pasta can still be eaten one year after opening it if it was stored in the pantry.