What happens if you eat expired bread?

Your super hungry and ready to make yourself a sandwich for lunch. As you pull the bread out of the bag, you notice that it expired two days ago. Thankfully bread doesn’t instantly go bad on the expiration date!

Commercially made bread like sandwich loaves, hamburger buns, and hotdog buns are made with preservatives to help it last longer than fresh baked bread. A fresh baked loaf of bread from the bakery department may only last 4-5 days, and a commercially packaged loaf of bread can last up to 2 weeks.

Most bread will last a while if it is stored correctly and handled correctly. We will deep dive further into this and give helpful hints to prolong your bread’s shelf life!

What happens if you eat bad bread?

Typically speaking there are two types of “bad” bread, that is bread that is past the expiration date and bread that has mold on it.

Bread that is past the expiration date can be perfectly fine to eat. Most commercially made sandwich bread is still good after the expiration date and won’t have mold on it.

If the bread you are about to eat has white, black, or green mold it needs to be tossed. If you eat moldy bread, you may end up with an upset stomach or worse full blown food poisoning.

The most common symptoms of food poisoning are stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever.

If your symptoms are severe and include a high fever (over 102F), can’t keep any liquids down, signs of dehydration, or diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days, you will need to go see a doctor or healthcare provider.

In rare cases, moldy bread can actually cause an allergic reaction if you already have allergies to certain things like mildew, mold, and fungus.

Food poisoning is more likely to occur if you are over 65 years old, under 5 years old, have a compromised immune system, or are pregnant.

If you see any fuzzy mold growing on your bread, the best thing to do is throw it away or put it in your compost bin. Just because every piece does not have mold showing, does not mean that it doesn’t hold particles of mold that is growing and other bacteria that can be harmful.

Since all the pieces are in the same container and the mold is growing in the bread bag, the whole loaf needs to be tossed out.

Commercial bakeries are constantly testing new and wholesome ways to extend the shelf life of bread. Some studies are finding that certain additives can make bread last for up to 21 days after baking it and prevent mold from forming.

For now, most breads will last approximately 10-14 days after you buy it. If you buy white bread, it may grow mold faster than wheat bread, but it will depend a lot on how it is stored, preservatives in the bread, and by brand/manufacturer.

What happens if you eat expired bread without mold?

Bread that is expired is normally just stale, which means it is a little drier than fresh bread. So, if you are making avocado toast, a baked French toast, or even a BLT sandwich you will probably not notice the bread is stale.

When you first open the bag of bread and notice it is past the expiration date, give a slice a little sniff. Fresh bread smells earthy and similar to yeast. Stale bread will have a slightly sweet or sour smell that shouldn’t smell rancid.

If you take a sniff and the bread smells putrid or rancid, this may mean that parts of the bread have mold that you can’t see yet.

As long as the bread shows no signs of mold and still smells good, then you are free to use expired bread! This would also be a good time to determine if you are going to be able to use up the rest of the bread right away.

If you still have a good amount of bread left, and you won’t be able to use it in the next day, then you can safely store it in the freezer for another 2-3 months.

Frozen bread in many shapes and sizes can be used in tons of ways! You can make garlic bread, individual pizzas, breadcrumbs, croutons, and more. We will get into more ways to use up frozen or stale bread later!

Where is the expiration date on bread?

Depending on the type of bread that you are buying, you will typically find the expiration date in one of 2 places. Most bread makers will print the expiration date right on the plastic loaf bag.

Some of the more expensive breads and bread for hamburgers or hotdogs, will be closed with a bread clip. This plastic clip will have the expiration date printed on the side.

Some bread clips are organized by color to show what day they were baked on, but this is not a univeral practice followed by all bread manufacturers.

Commercially made sandwich style bread can last for quite a few days after the expiration date and be totally fine to eat.

How long is unopened bread good for?

Similar to other foods, the main reason that bread starts to go bad is because it is exposed to air. Once the bag is opened and you touch the bread, the bread will naturally start to degrade.

There are many types of mold or bacteria that are in the air and on people’s skin. So, when a bread bag is opened, you can expose the bread to these particles.

A good rule of thumb is to always wash your hands before you open a bread container, so you don’t accidently transfer germs or bacteria to the bread.

If you are not a fan of bread bags with a twist tie, there are tons of plastic loaf containers that can store bread in a safe and controlled environment.

Some experts say that bread bags can cause a lot of excessive moisture which can lead to mold, but this is really more likely to happen if you are storing your bread near a window. The heat from the sun and direct sunlight can make mold spores grow like crazy.

To be safe, always store your bread in a cool dark place like a cabinet or pantry at room temperature. My parents swear by keeping bread in the refrigerator to make it last longer, but they live in a very humid area in Florida.

If you don’t live in a super humid area, keeping bread in the fridge may not be necessary. The best advice for keeping bread from going bad is to keep it stored properly away from open air, moisture, and heat!

10 Unique and Easy Uses for Stale Bread

I am on a kick recently where due to soaring grocery prices, I want to have as little food waste as possible. I am implementing some fun and unique ways to use up stale or almost expired foods like bread in order to get the full use out of the money I spent on it.

Here are my best ways to use up stale bread to avoid throwing it in the garbage or compost bin:

1. Croutons – I may never buy commercially made croutons ever again, because the homemade version is so quick, easy, and tastes so much better. The next time you are having a salad, take out some stale bread or defrost some frozen bread and toast it. Sometimes I use a regular toaster, a toaster oven, or the oven. It really just depends on if I already have the oven on for some other part of the meal. After your bread is toasted, you can chop it up into 1-inch diced pieces or tear it. I throw all the pieces into a plastic bag or bowl, and drizzle with olive oil or melted butter. Then I throw my seasonings in and toss the bag or use a spoon to mix the seasoning in. Did you know that lots of restaurants that serve bread, will use leftover bread to make croutons too? It’s a super easy way to avoid food waste.
2. Stuffing – If your making croutons and notice you made too much or are just craving some quick stuffing, you can use the same basic principle to make your own instant stuffing mix. It’s basically just croutons with seasoning, that you throw in with butter and hot water. Not going to lie, my homemade stuffing is much better than StoveTop and it cost pennies because I used stale bread and seasoning. Even if you get Stove Top on sale, it won’t be cheaper than homemade!
3. Toast – When the bread bag is almost done and only a few pieces are left, I love to make toast. Not just your regular jelly on bread toast out of a toaster, I mean fancy toast. My son’s preschool gave me the idea because they serve a cheese toast breakfast. So, I have made my own version for adults and kids alike. I start super simple with buttered bread and place it on a greased sheet pan or cookie pan. Here is where the fun begins, I start looking for little bits and pieces of what is leftover in the fridge. I may top the bread with leftover Munster cheese from burgers, and I can even chop up a leftover burger and put that on top too! Throw on some fresh tomatoes and a sprinkle of seasoning, and my kids are eating mouthwatering Cheeseburger Toast for breakfast! Perfect for kids and adults, plus it is super easy to use up just little bits of leftover food!
4. French Toast – My kids are toddlers, so if food comes with maple syrup they are in love. Regular plain French toast in a frying pan can get a little boring, so we like to spice it up and do baked French toast in the oven. This can be prepped the night before or made early in the morning. It’s also super easy if you are serving brunch for a crowd. You can mix in the traditional spices like vanilla and cinnamon, or you can go with the unexpected. We have used raisins/dried cranberries (any dried fruit works well with this really), chopped nuts like almonds/ cashews / or walnuts, and we sometimes use almond extract or lemon extract for a little something different. This is another great way to use any small amounts of leftover baking ingredients.
5. Bread Pudding – To me bread pudding and French toast are so similar and are basically the same thing. The only real difference is that French toast is usually made with the sliced bread still in sliced form, and the bread pudding is usually diced or torn into smaller pieces. This is a fabulous dessert that can use up so many odds and ends of ingredients. Have a small amount of chocolate chips, dried fruit, or sprinkles leftover, just throw them in to make your bread pudding more festive!
6. Topping for Casseroles and Cobblers – Just like making croutons, to make a breadcrumb mixture for casseroles and cobblers, you just throw the toasted bread into a food processer. If you are making a casserole, you can keep the seasonings more on the savory side with garlic or pepper. If you are making a dessert, add a little maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar to the mix to sweeten them up!
7. Garlic Bread or Individual Pizzas – my kids are huge fans of mini items made just for them to their specific tastes. So we do a lot of mini pizzas for lunch and each kid gets to choose their toppings so they each get something made just the way they like it. You can also skip the tomato sauce if you are not a fan and use other premade sauces like jarred Alfredo sauce or even Ranch dressing. My daughter actually likes her pizza to be made with ketchup and just cheese but she is only 2 and not quite hitting her peak tasty preferences yet. You can also jazz up your garlic bread by adding fresh basil or rosemary, homegrown tomatoes, and even peppers like jalapenos from your garden.
8. Make Pie Crust – Hear me out before you pass then one by, my kids like quiche but are not a fan of traditional pie crusts. So, I use old sandwich bread to make mini muffin quiches, or make a large pie pan quiche. Just trim off the crust if you want, and then lay the slices along the bottom of the pan. I pinch the edges together if I can, if you don’t it won’t ruin the quiche. It actually turns out really yummy because the bread soaks in some of the egg mixture to make a savory French Toast. Now I no longer have plates of just pie crust at the end of a meal! Win-Win!
9. Dog Treats– According to Purina UK, dogs can have the occasional piece of white or wheat bread. We have one elderly dog that takes medications twice a day, and if I run out of treats to give her meds, I will use a small piece of stale bread to help “hide” her prescription medications! Just don’t serve your dog any sugar free loaf bread, bread with raisins or nuts, and any bread with seasonings like garlic or onions, those can make a dog sick.
10. Soup Topping – move over French Onion Soup, you can make a wonderfully cheesy crusty bread topping for any soup that is thin. We like to put it on top of vegetable soup or even chicken broth-based soups. You can put the soup in oven safe soup containers, top with bread and cheese, and then put under the broiler for a few minutes to make that cheesy crusty topping.

You can also use these suggestions if you are baking bread at home! Any old bread will work!

Can I eat expired bread?

Absolutely! As long as the bread shows no signs of mold and still smells good, there is no reason why you can’t eat expired bread. Eating expired bread or eating bread past the expiration date is completely fine.

Expired bread is also an easy way to make some homemade versions of different foods that you would have to spend money on, so you can actually stretch your grocery budget further by not throwing it away.

Now that I have found just these 10 ways to use expired bread (and there are literally tons of other fun ways to use bread), I can stop buying croutons, instant stuffing mix, frozen French toast, frozen Garlic Bread, Mini Pizzas for Kids, and premade pie crust.

Now that is a huge success for my grocery budget by just using up what I already have before it needs to be tossed or composted!

Don’t forget to check out, “What happens if you eat expired Breadcrumbs?” and more articles about food that may be sitting expired in your pantry!