Name: 有效期的真正含義（不是你想的那樣） (What Expiration Dates REALLY Mean (It’s NOT What You Think!))
Uploaded: 2025-04-29T15:27:33.000Z
Duration: 8 min 56 s

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We've all been there, standing in front of the fridge, holding a carton of milk that's a few days past its expiration date, wondering if taking a sip is a gamble worth taking.

我們都有過這樣的經歷，站在冰箱前，拿著一盒過期幾天的牛奶，不知道喝一口是否值得一賭。

Expiration dates seem like a clear-cut rule.

有效期似乎是一條明確的規則。

What if expiration dates are more about guidelines than strict deadlines?

如果有效期更多的是指導方針而不是嚴格的最後期限呢？

Let's unravel the mystery behind expiration dates and find out what they really mean, right here on History of Simple Things.

讓我們在《簡單事物的歷史》節目中揭開保質期背後的神祕面紗，瞭解它們的真正含義。

First things first, expiration dates are not as standardized as most people assume.

首先，有效期並不像大多數人認為的那樣標準化。

In fact, in many countries, including the United States, there are no strict federal regulations dictating how food companies should determine these dates.

事實上，包括美國在內的許多國家都沒有嚴格的聯邦法規來規定食品公司應如何確定這些日期。

Instead, manufacturers choose them based on factors like taste, texture, and peak quality rather than actual safety.

相反，生產商選擇它們的依據是口味、質地和峰值品質等因素，而不是實際安全性。

You've probably seen labels that say things like Best Buy, Sell By, Use By, or Expires

您可能見過一些標籤，上面寫著 "最佳購買時間"、"銷售日期"、"使用日期 "或 "過期 "等字樣。

Best Buy is more of a suggestion than a rule.

百思買更多的是一種建議，而不是規則。

It tells you when the product is at its highest quality.

它能告訴你產品何時達到最高品質。

Sell By is a guideline for stores, telling them when to remove items from shelves.

銷售期限是商店的一項準則，告訴商店何時下架商品。

But that doesn't necessarily mean the food is bad after that.

但這並不意味著之後的食物就一定不好。

Use By is the closest thing to an actual expiration date.

使用期限是最接近實際有效期的日期。

But even that doesn't always mean immediate spoilage.

但即便如此，也並不總是意味著立即變質。

You might be wondering, how do manufacturers even come up with these dates?

您可能會問，製造商是如何確定這些日期的？

Most companies conduct taste tests, storage studies, and laboratory analyses to estimate when a product will start losing its freshness.

大多數公司都會進行口味測試、儲存研究和實驗室分析，以估計產品何時開始失去新鮮度。

However, these tests are often conservative, meaning the actual food might last much longer than the printed date suggests.

不過，這些測試通常比較保守，這意味著實際食品的保質期可能比印刷日期所顯示的要長很多。

It's also about keeping customers happy with peak quality products.

這也是為了讓客戶滿意最高品質的產品。

Another factor influencing these dates is liability.

影響這些日期的另一個因素是責任。

Companies don't want to be sued over food-borne illnesses, so they play it safe.

公司不希望因食源性疾病而被起訴，所以他們採取了安全措施。

This means that many foods, especially shelf-stable items like canned goods or dry pasta, are still completely fine long after their printed dates.

這意味著許多食品，尤其是罐頭食品或乾麵食等貨架穩定的食品，在過了印刷日期很久之後仍然完全沒有問題。

Just because something is past its expiration date doesn't automatically mean it's unsafe to eat.

過了保質期的東西並不意味著吃了就不安全。

Food spoilage is a gradual process, and most products have a pretty wide margin of safety beyond their expiration date.

食品變質是一個漸進的過程，大多數產品在過期後都有相當大的安全餘量。

Your senses—sight, smell, and taste—are usually much better indicators of whether food is still good than the numbers printed on the package.

你的感官--視覺、嗅覺和味覺--通常比包裝上印製的數字更能說明食物是否仍然美味。

For example, milk that's a couple of days past its date might still be perfectly fine, especially if it's been kept cold.

例如，過了幾天保質期的牛奶可能仍然完好無損，尤其是在冷藏的情況下。

Eggs, when stored properly, can last weeks beyond their sell-by date.

如果儲存得當，雞蛋的保質期可長達數週。

Even meat, if stored in a freezer, can remain safe for months, regardless of the expiration date on the label.

即使是肉類，如果存放在冷凍室中，也可以安全保存幾個月，而不管標籤上的保質期有多長。

Perishable items like raw poultry, seafood, and certain dairy products do have a higher risk of bacterial growth, especially if they haven't been stored properly.

生鮮家禽、海鮮和某些乳製品等易腐物品確實有較高的細菌滋生風險，尤其是在沒有妥善保存的情況下。

But even then, food poisoning is more often caused by improper handling than eating something a few days past its date.

但即便如此，食物中毒更多是由於處理不當造成的，而不是吃了過期幾天的東西。

The way food is packaged also plays a big role in how long it actually lasts.

食物的包裝方式對食物的實際保存時間也有很大影響。

Vacuum-sealed meats, for instance, can stay fresh much longer than meats exposed to air.

例如，真空密封的肉類比暴露在空氣中的肉類保鮮時間更長。

The same goes for things like vacuum-packed cheese or airtight containers for snacks.

真空包裝的奶酪或裝零食的密封容器也是如此。

Even without added preservatives, modern food packaging does a lot to extend shelf life.

即使不添加防腐劑，現代食品包裝也能大大延長保質期。

Speaking of preservatives, they're another major reason why many foods last longer than their labels suggest.

說到防腐劑，它們是許多食品比標籤上標示的保存時間更長的另一個主要原因。

Salt, sugar, vinegar, and certain chemicals are often used to slow down bacterial growth and oxidation, which means products like canned soups, pickled vegetables, and sugary snacks can last for years without going bad.

通常使用鹽、糖、醋和某些化學物質來減緩細菌生長和氧化，這意味著罐頭湯、醃菜和含糖零食等產品可以保存多年而不會變質。

One of the biggest issues with strict expiration dates is food waste.

嚴格的保質期帶來的最大問題之一就是食物浪費。

Studies show that millions of tons of perfectly good food are thrown away each year simply because people assume the printed date means the food is unsafe.

研究表明，每年有數百萬噸完好無損的食品被丟棄，原因僅僅是人們認為印刷日期意味著食品不安全。

Supermarkets also toss out huge quantities of items that are still edible just because they've reached their sell-by dates.

超市也會扔掉大量仍可食用的商品，只是因為它們已經過了銷售期限。

In reality, a lot of this food could still be eaten or donated.

實際上，這些食物中的很多仍然可以食用或捐贈。

Some grocery stores and food banks have started to combat this waste by selling or redistributing expired products that are still perfectly fine.

一些雜貨店和食品銀行已經開始通過出售或重新分配過期產品來解決這種浪費問題，這些產品仍然完好無損。

In fact, several countries are pushing for better labeling systems that differentiate between quality dates and safety dates to prevent unnecessary waste.

事實上，一些國家正在推行更好的標籤制度，區分品質日期和安全日期，以防止不必要的浪費。

Because expiration dates are often misunderstood, governments and organizations are pushing for clearer labeling systems.

由於保質期經常被誤解，各國政府和組織都在推動建立更清晰的標籤系統。

Some countries, like the United Kingdom and Japan, have already made changes to reduce food waste.

一些國家，如英國和日本，已經為減少食物浪費做出了改變。

Instead of using vague terms like best buy or sell-by, some manufacturers now use use-by only for products where safety is a real concern, like raw meat or dairy.

現在，一些製造商不再使用 "最佳購買期 "或 "銷售截止期 "等含糊不清的術語，而是將 "使用截止期 "僅用於真正涉及安全的產品，如生肉或乳製品。

For other items, they use best before, which simply indicates peak quality rather than safety.

對於其他物品，他們使用 "最佳之前"（best before），這只是表示最高品質，而不是安全性。

In the U.S., there have been discussions about standardizing food date labeling, but progress has been slow.

美國一直在討論食品日期標籤的標準化問題，但進展緩慢。

Many experts argue that clearer labels such as safe to eat until for perishable foods and best quality before for non-perishables could help reduce the massive amount of food that gets tossed unnecessarily.

許多專家認為，更清晰的標籤，如易腐食品的 "可安全食用 "和非易腐食品的 "最佳品質之前"，有助於減少大量不必要的食品被丟棄。

Until then, it's up to consumers to educate themselves and make informed decisions.

在此之前，消費者有責任進行自我教育並做出明智的決定。

If expiration dates aren't the final word on food safety, what is?

如果保質期不是食品安全的定論，那麼什麼才是呢？

Before tossing something just because it's past the date, do a quick check.

在因為過期而扔掉某樣東西之前，先快速檢查一下。

If something smells off, sour, or just wrong, don't risk it.

如果有異味、酸味或不對勁的味道，就不要冒險。

Mold, discoloration, or a slimy texture are clear signs of spoilage.

發黴、變色或質地粘稠是變質的明顯跡象。

If it looks and smells fine but still tastes weird, it's better to be safe than sorry.

如果看起來和聞起來都很好，但吃起來還是怪怪的，那還是小心為妙。

For dairy products like milk or yogurt, give them a sniff and a small taste before deciding.

對於牛奶或酸奶等乳製品，在做出決定之前，先讓它們聞一聞，嘗一小口。

Hard cheeses can sometimes develop a little mold on the surface, but you can often just cut it off.

硬奶酪有時會在表面長出一些黴菌，但通常可以直接切掉。

Dry goods like rice, pasta, and cereal rarely go bad unless they've been exposed to moisture or pests.

大米、麵條和穀物等乾貨很少變質，除非受潮或受到蟲害。

So, should you completely ignore expiration dates?

那麼，你是否應該完全忽略保質期呢？

They're still useful for knowing when a product is at its best, and they can serve as a rough guideline for food safety.

它們對於瞭解產品的最佳狀態仍然有用，而且可以作為食品安全的粗略指導。

But they shouldn't be treated as a strict deadline.

但不應將其視為嚴格的最後期限。

Learning to trust your senses and understanding how food actually spoils can save you money and prevent unnecessary waste.

學會相信自己的感覺，瞭解食物的實際變質情況，可以為您節省開支，避免不必要的浪費。

In the end, expiration dates are more about quality than safety.

歸根結底，保質期更多地與品質而非安全有關。

The next time you're about to throw something away just because of the date printed on it, take a second look.

下一次，當你因為上面印的日期而準備扔掉某樣東西時，請再仔細看看。

You might just save yourself a trip to the grocery store, and do the planet a favor in the process.

你可能只是省去了一趟雜貨店之旅，同時也為地球做了一件好事。

If you have suggestions for our next video, feel free to share them in the comments below.

如果您對我們的下一個視頻有任何建議，歡迎在下面的評論中與我們分享。

We'll be sure to give you an acknowledgment for your contribution.

Thank you for joining us on this journey through the history of simple things.

感謝您和我們一起踏上這段簡單事物的歷史之旅。

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and stay tuned for more stories woven through the smallest of details.

別忘了點贊、訂閱，並繼續關注更多通過微小細節編織的故事。