My LFS sells them for 40-60% off regular price. A year or two past expiration date. Is it still safe? What about it's nutritional value?
What's Your Take on Expired Fish Food?
- Thread starter littlewangzfan
- Start date
A year or two past the exp. date is way to much. It's junk by that point, probably better to feed your fish cardboard and paper.
To save money on food I buy in bulk and put it in the freezer. Then I just take out what I use in a week's time. The fish always get fresh food this way because most fish pellets and flakes are good for a year in the freezer.
To save money on food I buy in bulk and put it in the freezer. Then I just take out what I use in a week's time. The fish always get fresh food this way because most fish pellets and flakes are good for a year in the freezer.
There is nothing wrong with that food. Now days they put expiration date on everything even water. Years ago they did not put a date on fish food and believe me some of that food would be 2-4 years old. We would but it because we did not know better and nothing happened to our fish.
The food is still good if it is sealed. If you're worried it's going to kill your fish it won't. The expiration is put on there because the food may be discolored or might have lost some of the nutritional value it had before the expiration date but that doesn't mean it still isn't any good. As long as it isn't moldy or hasn't putrified it will be fine. If you're looking to save money then go for it.
Not necessarily.
While some nutrient loss will be a certainty, the overall quality, and even safety of the food, will depend on a number of factors. There is always a risk when dealing with foods that contain high fat content (fat will go rancid over time) and/or high moisture content, which also can lead to rancidity or mold issues. Most foods that have pased the expiration date are already 2-3 yrs since the actual date of manufacture, add another year or two to that and you could potentially be feeding food that was manufactured 4-5 yrs ago. There are key nutrients such as Vitamin C that depending on the form of the vitamin used, and the amount added to the food when being manufactured, could very well be pretty much spent before you even open the container.
Now ask yourself how much if any are you truly saving?
As someone who works within the aquatic industry, if I caught a LFS selling outdated product of mine at a discount, I would cut them off at the knees.
As far as I'd look at it... Worst case it is spoiled food and dangerous. Best case it is not as nutritional as good food. Either way it isn't really good since even if it doesn't kill them, it is effectively junk food with less health value then before.
There is a reason for that. Even bottled water can go bad given enough time.