Foods You Can Safely Eat Past the Expiration Date

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© iStock / Getty Images Plus / Roman Valiev

Coffee

You can happily dig into an opened packet of ground coffee 1 year after bringing it home, after which the quality will decrease. An packet of instant coffee will still be good 18 months after opening, if kept at room temperature. Whole coffee beans however have a shorter shelf life: they will only stay at "best quality" for 2-4 weeks at room temperature. 

The best way to store coffee long term is to freeze it, although this will still result in flavor loss.