Would you still eat it?
Didn't notice the date (Apr. 07) on the package when I bought it..... wonder if that's the reason it was on sale.
Found a couple more in my cupboard, of course long expired too!!!! I know it's full of MSG and other powder, but I wonder if you would eat it.
I am starving!!!!
P.S. What's your favourite..... I am stuck on Tom Yum (mama brand)
Oh yeah, I'd eat it without thinking twice.
First of all those expiration dates are more for the benefit of the company.
Second, it is hard for salt to expire. There's so much stuff in there preservative-wise, I'd have no problem eating it even a year after expiration. The noodles may possibly taste a little stale a year after expiration ... or maybe not. I don't think there's real meat in there anyway. If it doesn't have anything growing in it ... and it won't just two months after expiration ... throw some water in and give it a try. If it tastes stale then toss it.
Don't have a favorite ... I favor what's on sale.
If there was some major disaster on earth and only I was left with only instant noodles to eat, I think I would be able to live a normal lifetime on the noodles ... if the salt in it didn't kill me.
Why is Tom Yum the best in your opinion? I don't think I've tried that brand.
I would generally avoid eating instant noodles that have far passed the expiration date. The flavor of the oils seem to change over time and after a while, you'll notice those instant noodles tasting a bit off. I think if it's a month or two, then it's ok. However, if you've gone past the expiration date more than a few months to a few years, I think you'll notice a pretty funky taste sometimes.
Most noodle packages use palm oil rather than hydrogenated fat to pre-cook the noodles. So rancidity will occur over time, and 6 months past the expiry date might be what I would accept, though my nose would be the best judge.
If you are worried about trans fats, check the white nutrition label to see if they are there. Chances are the industry has gone beyond that barrier.
As long as it isn't more then a couple months it should be fine. Since it does contain oil though, you will know as soon as you open the package it the oil has gone rancid. I would not eat it in that case. I know from experience even if it has not reached the best before date, if it smells bad don't eat it. That being said I have a friend who believes that they are "best before" dates not "don't eat after" dates...lol
I am with you on the Tom Yum.
As rworange said, they are, for the most part, "best before" dates: the date after which the product shouldn't be sold because the manufacturer won't guarantee its quality. The government requires "expiration dates" on foods, but for all practical purposes, anything that's in a shelf-stable sealed package doesn't spoil. What it will do is deteriorate in quality. Even if the oil becomes rancid, it's not really unsafe to eat -- it won't taste good and might upset your tummy, but it won't give you food poisoning.
People throw out waaaay too much food because it's "expired" -- which I'm sure doesn't make the manufacturers unhappy at all.
#1. If we're talking about up to a year past expiry for a package of Instant Ramen, I seriously doubt that there's any health issue (assuming you're not in CHF). The worst that could have happened is it went rancid which, I believe, is bad tasting but not dangerous to eat.
#2. I'm not a food scientist but I have a working knowledge of inorganic and organic chemistry. However, I see that some posters have thrown around the trans fatty acid thing as if it plays any role here. Trans fatty acids have been associated with increased rates of ischemic heart disease. So have hydrogenated fats. The trans descriptor has to do with the orientation of side chains. The saturated descriptor has to do with how many hydrogen atoms are bound to the available carbon binding sites. If all of the carbon binding sites are occupied by hydrogens (saturated), the molecule is more stable against oxidation (which makes fats rancid).
Had the posters said the ramen used unsaturated fat, this would have made it more susceptible to oxidation and rancidity. However, to the best of my knowledge, whether it is trans or not is not relevant with regard to the food "going bad."
I throw this out there to see if someone who really knows can refute or confirm my understanding.
I do not have any explanation for this offhand, but I have definitely read that trans-fatty acids are used specifically to increase the shelf life of food (I remember it being mentioned in an article explaining how and why New York issued a fatwa against trans fats... I think using them lets you fry at a higher temperature and also makes food last longer... again, no idea what that has to do with the positioning of chains, and I've never really heard of cis-fatty acids...).
Overall I agree with other posters -- your noodles probably don't taste as good as they did before the expiration date, but their being expired won't kill you any faster than the preservatives and fat already would have.
Quote: "The worst that could have happened is it went rancid which, I believe, is bad tasting but not dangerous to eat."
Actually, the free radicals that are created by the rancidity process are injurious to your body. Free radicals have been implicated in the acceleration of the aging process in humans, as well as in increasing the incidence of certain forms of cancer. Rancidity is a process that takes...perhaps months...and before something smells "rancid" the rancidity process can be well under way, and the formation of those damaging free radicals can be taking place.
By the time that something smells rancid, most people would avoid eating it, but in fact, any product that contains fats can be in the process of randidity, and thus be potentially harmful once it is beyond the stated expiration date. As I said previously, unless someone is truly poverty-striken, it is wise to discard a product like those aged instant noodles. Better to be safe than to do potential damage to one's health over the issue of a few pennies.
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