Ugh ... I ate an expired cereal bar.

yellow_pepper

So, I was delighted that the convenience store in my office had re-stocked the Milk & Cereal Bars in Cocoa Puffs! Unfortunately, I had already scarfed it down before I noticed the expiration date... Feb 8! That's more than a month expired! Should I be worried? Or are there enough preservatives it that thing to make it edible until next year? :grumble:

yellow_pepper

So, I was delighted that the convenience store in my office had re-stocked the Milk & Cereal Bars in Cocoa Puffs! Unfortunately, I had already scarfed it down before I noticed the expiration date... Feb 8! That's more than a month expired! Should I be worried? Or are there enough preservatives it that thing to make it edible until next year? :grumble:

sandas23

It won't harm you at all.

kerrilucko

I wouldn't worry about it. Those things are like candy bars, they never go bad :laugh:

ThatDollSally

That's more like a "best by" date. The worst that's happened is you've eaten a cereal bar that's a little stale.

yellow_pepper

Thanks... That's a good way of thinking about it. Though my mind keeps wandering to the premiere episode of that short-lived sitcom "Teen Angel," with the guy who dies from eating old hamburger. Of course, this was not a hamburger. :laugh:

ChubbyBunny

I wouldn't worry.
I agree, it's more like a "best by" date.... usually stores pull them after that date but they are usually still edible with no consequences.

DBranchaud

Thanks... That's a good way of thinking about it. Though my mind keeps wandering to the premiere episode of that short-lived sitcom "Teen Angel," with the guy who dies from eating old hamburger. Of course, this was not a hamburger. :laugh:

I think i remember that show

yellow_pepper

[I think i remember that show

Yeah, it had a one-season stint on TGIF...

bootilicious

Oh, it should be ok, I have stuff in my fridge that are probably older than that:)

lanasgurl

This is kinda off the subject but reminded me of an email I received the other day and thought I would pass it on...

From Snopes:
I recently made a batch of pancakes for my healthy 14-year-old son, using a mix that was in our pantry. He said that they tasted 'funny,' but ate them anyway. About 10 minutes later, he began having difficulty breathing and his lips began turning purple. I gave him his allergy pill, had him sit on the sofa and told him to relax. He was wheezing while inhaling and exhaling.

My husband, a volunteer Firefighter and EMT, heated up some water, and we had my son lean over the water so the steam could clear his chest and sinuses. Soon, his breathing became more regular and his lips returned to a more normal color. We checked the date on the box of pancake mix and, to my dismay, found it was very outdated. As a reference librarian at an academic institution, I have the ability to search through many research databases. I did just that, and found an article the next day that mentioned a 19-year-old male DYING after eating pancakes made with outdated mix. Apparently, the mold that forms in old pancake mix can be toxic!

When we told our friends about my son's close call, we were surprised at the number of people who mentioned that they should check their own pancake mix since they don't use it often, or they had purchased it some time ago. With so many people shopping at warehouse-type stores and buying large sizes of pancake mix, I hope your readers will take the time to check the expiration date on their boxes.

Also, beware of outdated Bisquick, cake, brownie and cookie mixes.

Here is the snopes link:

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/pancake.asp

ThatDollSally

Thanks... That's a good way of thinking about it. Though my mind keeps wandering to the premiere episode of that short-lived sitcom "Teen Angel," with the guy who dies from eating old hamburger. Of course, this was not a hamburger. :laugh:

I freakin' loved that show!

jbuehrer

Thanks... That's a good way of thinking about it. Though my mind keeps wandering to the premiere episode of that short-lived sitcom "Teen Angel," with the guy who dies from eating old hamburger. Of course, this was not a hamburger. :laugh:

Teen Angel was the best! I will youtube it now.