What should you do if you notice food beyond its expiration date?

When food is noticed beyond its expiration date, the appropriate action is to discard it immediately. This ensures food safety, as consuming expired food can pose significant health risks due to potential spoilage, bacterial growth, or contamination. Expiration dates are determined by food safety standards, which indicate the point at which food may no longer be safe to eat.

Other options like using the food immediately or checking for smell and appearance may seem tempting, but they do not guarantee safety since harmful pathogens can be present even without visible signs of spoilage. Refrigerating the food might temporarily slow down spoilage, but it does not reverse it or make the food safe past its expiration date. Therefore, the safest and most responsible action is to discard expired food to prevent any risk of foodborne illness.