Teacher gives students and grandkids expired food (2-9 years old after expiration dates)?

Although most foods are good for a while past the marked dates on products, 2-10 years is not acceptable for anything. The expiration dates are not arbitrary, the ingredients break down over time and while they may not be dangerous to consume, the product's maynot be as effective as it should be. ie: the baking powder in the cake mix might not be active and the cake won't rise or the spices will have lost flavor.

http://www.expiredfoods.net/guidetoallexpired.html .. This is a neat site that gives general guidelines for how long products last from the date of purchase. It recomended a shelf life of a year for cake mixes! So 2 years would be pushing it .. 9 years? That's just crazy.

There's a huge difference between a 'best before' expiry and a 'do not consume after' expiration date. Most of the foods you've mentioned would almost certainly be perfectly safe to eat, they just wouldn't taste as good (particuarly where canned and frozen food are concerned, since both of these processes are designed to preserve the food.

Another thing to bear in mind is that the body is a pretty robust organism and has plenty of self defence mechanisms... if food was unsafe to eat, you would be able to tell that in the smell, look and / or taste of the food (think of rancid milk, old meat etc). Even if the food WAS dangerous, in most people, the worst effect would be an upset stomach.

It's far more dangerous to eat take-away rice than canned food that's expired (even years and years ago). Rice has such a large surface area for bugs to bread on and provides an ideal medium too so the slightest carelessness in storage between the rice coming out of the boiling water and arriving on your plate can cause an upset stomach.

I understand why you're angry, but from the information you've provided, I'm pretty convinced she wasn't putting anyone in any danger.

Expiration dates and how long food actually keeps for are often two very different things. It depends alot upon the type of food and the conditions upon which it is stored. I do think anything over two years expired shouldn't be touched, yet sealed packets, tins and frozen food especially may be fine after this length of time it really does depend upon the particular circumstances. I can understand why you were so horrified yet you shouldn't have just thrown all the food out, it wasn't yours to do that with and if she still felt it was safe to eat then that is up to her. I do agree that she should not have given this food to others without telling them how old it was. You should have talked to her gently and been a bit more sensitive as too how you handled the situation.

Expiration dates on mixes and canned goods have just been printed on packages for the past few years. Before that, there was never an expiration date printed on them.

The dates are more for the retailers than the consumers. If they are mixes and canned goods they will still be fine to eat.

Don't get so upset with your mother in law. She is not trying to poison anyone. She loves you and your kids and her students as much as you do. Chill out!!!

That date is for retailers mainly. They can't sell food once the expiration date comes up but it's still fine to eat.

The expiration dates are for the businesses because they have to keep re-stocking their shelves with new products and stuff..but the food is still good.. With all those additives and sugar in the food, they can last forever!!

EEEEWWW! that is nasty! It is ok to eat some foods which are like a day over but a few years! NO WAY! (Unless it still tastes fine and you don't get a reaction). You're noot the bad guys, to be honest all mother in laws think they are right and blame their children in laws! They think they are right. Don't worry don't feel bad! ;)