Foods That Don't Expire

A food’s expiration date is the period until which you can eat the food without harming your health or posing a risk to your body. As such, the expiration date is for perishable products. However, there are also foods that don’t expire.

Some of the factors that determine when you can no longer eat a certain food are microbiological stability or predictive microbiology. The ability of organisms to proliferate and spoil the food is analyzed so that the maximum duration of that food is determined for its consumption without risk.

On the other hand, thanks to predictive microbiology, you can store foods in an adequate condition, and just like the expiration date, the storage details are on the package.

Sometimes we think that the food industry advances the expiration date, especially when food reaches its date in perfect condition. This is because there are two dates for food and we tend to confuse these; the other date is the eat by date.

The eat by date indicates the moment from which the food can lose properties such as taste, color, texture, or aroma. In this article, we’ll explore foods that don’t expire.

Dried beans

One of the conditions that cause foods to spoil or expire is the percentage of moisture that they contain. That’s why dried beans don’t spoil, so you can eat them, even several years after buying them.

Rice, one of the main foods that doesn’t expire

You can store white rice, (as opposed to brown rice), for a long time, in a cool, dry place. However, since brown rice contains essential oils in its husk, thus making it a healthier food, it is more likely to spoil and develop a somewhat rancid flavor.

Honey

Sometimes, when you live alone, you might stop buying honey because it’s sold in large containers that would take forever to eat on your own.

However, honey is on our list of foods that don’t expire. The sugar might crystallize, but heating the container for a few minutes will be enough to regain its dense texture.

Sugar

Next on our list of foods that don’t expire is, sugar. Make sure to store this in a cool, dry, and dark place.

Salt

Mankind has and continues to use salt as a preservative for many foods. Given its capacity for preservation, it has no expiration date.

Spices

Containers of paprika, dried oregano, and black pepper keep their properties for a long time. As such, you could say that they’re also one of the foods that don’t expire.

Pasta

Pasta, thanks to its low humidity, is considered a food that doesn’t expire, or at least one that has a very long shelf life.

The only drawback may be, that after a few years it starts to lose some flavor. Still, its consumption will never harm your health.

Dark chocolate

Unlike milk chocolate, which can spoil sooner, dark chocolate is a good food to store in your pantry, as it retains its properties for years on end.

Instant coffee

Instant coffee, stored in a dry and cool place, can be stored for a long period of time.

Alcohol

Alcoholic drinks have a high alcohol content that prevents the growth of microorganisms. As such, they can be consumed for a long time.

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar, similar to salt, is an ingredient that has been used since ancient times to preserve a wide variety of foods. It’s another example of foods that don’t expire and you can consume salt for years following its production.