Expiration dates are bogus - here's how to tell if food has gone bad

Expiration dates are a scam.

The "sell by" dates on food products aren't a reliable means of telling whether or not a food is safe to eat, according to The National Resource Defense Council. Instead, expiration dates merely indicate when a food will reach its limits for something called "optimal quality," which again is based only on a rough estimate.

Fortunately, determining whether or not a food has gone bad is fairly straightforward, and requires just a small amount of know-how. Read on to find out if you should eat it or toss it.