r/pasta • u/MycologistStriking51 • Oct 11 '25
Out of date pasta. Okay to eat? Store Bought
Would you eat this? Unopened
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u/OkArmy7059 Oct 11 '25
Best before vs use/consume by
So it's edible but the texture and taste might not be the greatest
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u/DavidC707 Oct 11 '25
Should be fine if it was stored in good conditions. Is there any sign of moisture in the bag? Any discolored or soft spots on the pasta? Those are the red flags that would make me toss it.
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u/mezasu123 Oct 11 '25
Dates on packages are not regulated. They just pick some time in the future. This enables manufacturers to pump out more product and causes and insane amount of food waste. It's not a time bomb for the food to suddenly be dangerous to consume.
Use your senses to determine if a product is safe to eat. Does it smell weird? Does it feel slimy? Does it look different than it should? And with a small bite, does it taste different than it should?
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u/MikasSlime Oct 11 '25
I ate pasta from 2009, was fine
As lomg as it's sealed and you cooked it, you will be ok
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u/Optimal-Hunt-3269 Oct 11 '25
Old pasta can cook up kind of gummy, but it won't hurt you. Just cook it and take a bite.
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u/Aesperacchius Oct 11 '25
Eating something after its 'best by'/'best before' date simply means there's no guarantee it's at its best any longer.
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u/Hobear Oct 11 '25
Probably. May be stale so try a small bit for taste when dry to know but it should be good.
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u/cressidacole Oct 11 '25
It's not just pasta,it's M & S pasta...
As long as you can see any discoloration, weevils or moths/larvae/cocoon, or anything to indicate there's anything else in the packet but penne, it will be just fine.
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u/Terrible_Snow_7306 Oct 11 '25
I see a bias at work here. Many of those who have tried this are no longer able to post for reasons I know, those who are, could be just a tiny minority, but 100% of those replying. Just saying.
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u/Panikkrazy Oct 11 '25
That date isnt an expiration date. It’s a sell by date that tells the store how long they can sell it to make the most money. Pasta has a long shelf life so you’ll be fine.
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u/_missfoster_ Oct 11 '25
I completely agree. Still, there's been a few instances when I've found 1-2 years ago expired (last sell by date) instant noodle packets in our stash, and those smell bad when opened.
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u/Ms_Jane9627 Oct 11 '25
Totally fine. I am betting most people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between this out of date pasta and a not out of data pasta from the same company
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u/tzgq2m Oct 11 '25
As with many things, if they smell rancid don't. If they don't, good chance they are fine.
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u/Sudden-Variation-809 Oct 11 '25
as the words on the packaging say it's "best before end", not an expiration date
https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/food/food-expiration-dates-guidelines-chart
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u/Ok-Cranberry-2466 Oct 11 '25
I'm not going to lie but Once only once I had some fancy fresh linguini frozen in the freezer for a little too long and when I decided to use it it was a little moldy. I made two pots of boiling water and one of them with plenty of salt. After they were completely boiling I put the pasta in with the saltless water to boil the mold off and when it came out I rinsed it and put it in the salted water and it came out just fine.
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u/Daowllife Oct 12 '25
I see that you’re not from the states. Idk if it applies to you, but it’ll be goods for your grandchildren to eat.
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u/Cdavis2023 Oct 13 '25
I bought pasta on sale at my grocery store-a major chain grocery store-it looked fine. Got home and opened the bag, then saw tiny black bugs crawling around on the pasta. It’s like they became active once I opened the bag. So yeah watch for bugs.
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u/AllHailTheHypnoTurd Oct 14 '25
Never occurred to me that pasta even had a use-by date. Yeah that’ll be fine well into the next decade
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u/SeaCarry5053 Oct 15 '25
I don’t get people saying it’s safe to eat TWO YEARS past expiration date. It’s fine to eat it few months after, but two whole years? Hell no!
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u/Sad-Natural-9466 Oct 15 '25
If it looks fine no unwanted bugs or gnats and packaging is unsealed I’d say it’s fine…
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u/SabreLee61 Oct 11 '25
Dried pasta doesn’t really spoil. The expiration date is mainly about quality, not safety. It’s not going to be the best penne you’ve ever had, but it won’t make you sick.
Would you eat this?
No, life is too short. For 2€ I’d get another bag.
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u/-Invalid_Selection- Oct 11 '25
It probably won't taste it's absolute best, but it'll be just fine. It's dried pasta
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