What Happens If You Ate Expired Chocolate, Yogurt, Sausage, Cottage Cheese, Chips, Sweets, Sour Cream

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

What happens if you accidentally eat an expired product

Almost everyone unintentionally (and some even intentionally) eat expired products. But what does such food threaten our body with? Is it possible to expect that the poisoning will pass by, or is it worth taking some measures? Much depends on the type of product.

Content

• 1 What happens if you eat expired food

  • 1.1 Foods to eat after the expiration date
  • 1.2 Foods that cannot be eaten after the expiration date
• 2 What to do in case of food poisoning

What happens if you eat expired food

The shelf life determines the moment when (according to the assumptions and calculations of the manufacturer) pathogenic microorganisms begin to develop in the product. They are responsible for the unpleasant sensations after such food and cause symptoms of poisoning - from a slight "whining" in the stomach to vomiting and diarrhea. The main causative agents of food poisoning are Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, which can be found in excess in expired products.

So the answer to the question "What will happen if you eat the expiration date" largely depends on how much the expiration date indicated on the packaging coincides with the real one. If "on paper" the product is already expired, and in fact - quite fresh and edible, then there will be no poisoning. But if the pathogenic microflora multiplies at a breakneck speed immediately after the expiration date, then you will find food poisoning with all its unpleasant symptoms:

• watery stools with a strong, unpleasant odor;
• vomiting (often repeated);
• temperature rise to 37.5 and above;
• sweating;
• chills;
• weakness;
• painful abdominal cramps.

Foods to eat after the expiration date

The shelf life does not always determine the real spoilage of the product. Here is a list of food that can be consumed even after that date:

• chocolate. After the expiration date, dark and bitter chocolate without filling can be eaten for another six months or a year, and white, milk and / or filled chocolate - for another 2–4 months. Separately, it should be said about the white bloom on the chocolate bar - it does not mean that the chocolate has become unusable. This is just a sign of improper storage. Usually, a white coating appears when the chocolate has been stored for a long time in the refrigerator, but this cannot be done. You can eat such a tile without fear for your health;
• instant noodles ("Doshirak", "Big Bon", "Big Lunch", "Chan Ramen" and others). Maximum dried noodles, dry vegetables and spices do not attract harmful microflora and do not stimulate its reproduction. And liquid sauces in bags, which are found in some types of such food, are saturated with preservatives and are in a sealed package, so there is nothing to worry about either;
• crisps. Expired chips will either soften or stale, but they are still edible and will not cause poisoning. And all thanks to the abundance of salt in the composition, which protects the product from the growth of microorganisms and naturally preserves;
• canned food. Closed canned food is practically unkillable food. She can stand in the refrigerator for several years - and at least henna. So even if the packaging says that the expiration date has long expired, you can open them without fear and eat. But an open jar will not last so long - it usually takes about 3-5 days for mold to begin to form on the surface. So you can store canned food for as long as you like, and it is advisable to eat it in a couple of days. Condensed milk is worth a separate mention - not only is it canned, but also a huge amount of sugar in the composition prevents the development of microflora, so you can savor it longer;
• cookies and crackers without fillings. It is very easy to distinguish “dangerous” cookies from “safe” ones - just dip them in tea and smell them. If you do not feel the unpleasant smell of dried oil, then the product can be eaten without harm to health;
• pasta and cereals. Here the situation is the same as with canned food. If the product is stored in a sealed, sealed package, then the expiration date is not scary. No incoming moisture - no multiplying microflora. But it is better to eat an open pack of pasta before the expiration date.

Cookies and chocolate can be eaten even after the expiration date on the package

By eating these foods even after the expiration date, you are not putting yourself at risk. However, doctors strongly recommend protecting children even from such a "safe delay." The child's body is more sensitive to pathogenic microorganisms, so even a small amount of them can lead to food poisoning.

Foods that cannot be eaten after the expiration date

Now it's the turn of dangerous products. If you have eaten any of this, then after 2-6 hours you may start vomiting, hyperthermia, sweating and diarrhea:

• dairy and sour milk products. This includes milk and kefir, fermented baked milk and sour cream, butter and cottage cheese, yogurt and cheese curds, as well as all products containing them (for example, ice cream). It is the expired "milk" that provokes severe poisoning, among the symptoms of which are repeated vomiting, diarrhea, digestive problems for the next couple of days;
• cakes, pastries and other sweets with cream. Another dangerous category is that custard is a very attractive medium for pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, soon after the expiration date, a beautiful piece of cake turns into a poison that will bring you a couple of not the most pleasant days in your life;
• sausage, sausages and meat products. In general, meat is prone to quick spoilage, and therefore the shelf life on the packaging of such products usually coincides with the real one.

Let's talk separately about fresh vegetables and fruits. Not a single manufacturer will be able to determine their real shelf life with an accuracy of the day, and therefore you should not be guided by the dates on the packaging. When determining the freshness of fruits and vegetables, focus on sight and smell. If, nevertheless, it turned out to “feast on” the dried-up product, then the body will react with food poisoning.

Only eat fruits and vegetables when the whole fruit looks fresh and smells good

What to do with food poisoning

If you have eaten something wrong, and after 2-6 hours your temperature rises, sweat breaks out and diarrhea appears, it is worthwhile to carry out a few simple procedures. First, flush your stomach:

1. Dilute a few potassium permanganate granules in 1.5–2 liters of pure water to form a pale pink liquid. If potassium manganese is not in the house, then replace it with a tablespoon of baking soda.
2. Go to the toilet along with the prepared solution.
3. Drink a little, then induce vomiting with your fingers.
4. Repeat step three until food stops coming out. If one water has gone, then you have coped with gastric lavage.

Then, in order to reduce the toxic effect on the body, you can take a sorbent. The cheapest and most affordable option is activated carbon. Drink one tablet for every 10 kg of your weight. For example, if you weigh 50 kg - you need 5 tablets, and if your weight is about 80 kg - 8 tablets.

Instead of activated carbon, you can drink other specialized sorbents, for example, Polysorb, Smecta and others. They must be taken according to the instructions.

The next step is to restore the water balance. Diarrhea and vomiting dehydrate the body, so try to drink plenty of clean water - at least a glass per hour.

If you do not feel better within 3-6 hours, then you should call an ambulance.

Until the symptoms of acute food poisoning (nausea, sweating, temperature above 37.5, diarrhea) do not go away, you should refuse to eat at all. Usually, with active treatment, they disappear within 3-6 hours. Then the next couple of days you need to eat bread crumbs, jelly, oatmeal porridge in water or liquid mashed potatoes (without adding milk or eggs).

After poisoning, it is better to get sick at home for a couple of days.

Food poisoning is a common disorder. So frequent that a reliable scheme has already been developed to deal with it, which will help every person.