Can you eat expired food?

Across supermarkets, tens of thousands of products are pulled from shelves every day as they approach their "best before" deadlines. However, there is a social enterprise in Hong Kong, Green Price, which specializes in selling products that are about to or have just passed their best before date, including snacks, drinks, daily necessities and skin care products.

Isn't expired food a safety issue? In fact, there have been such stores in foreign countries for a long time, saving products that are about to pass the best-before date every day before they are sent to landfills.

It turns out that there are two types of food labels in Hong Kong. If you understand the difference between the two types of labels, you will understand the significance of saving expired products.

The first category is "Used By" (Used By ), which is related to food safety risks. For example, dairy products must not be eaten after the deadline. According to Hong Kong law, shops are not allowed to sell such products.

The second category, "Best Before" refers to the best edible quality, which is less likely to perish, such as dry goods such as snacks and health care products. After the best before date, it is not necessarily the best taste and texture; if stored properly, food can still be eaten after the expiration date. According to Hong Kong law, merchants are also allowed to sell these products.

If you find a bottle of expired effervescent tablets at home, don't rush to throw it into the trash can, open it and smell it for any peculiar smell, if not, you can continue to eat it. Of course, if the food has gone bad before the expiration date, or if it smells bad, it must be thrown away.

*The above content is not professional medical advice. Before purchasing any product, users should understand their personal needs clearly. If necessary, please consult a professional.