Can you get sick from eating expired chips?
In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “Can you get sick from eating expired chips” with an in-depth analysis of whether or not you can get sick from eating expired chips. Moreover, we are going to discuss the shelf life of chips and the proper way to store chips.
Can you get sick from eating expired chips?
There are no major complications associated with the consumption of eating stale chips. In some individuals, they may cause diarrhea because of the rancid oil present in them. Nevertheless, the quality and taste would be compromised drastically. As long as you are okay with that, you can eat the expired chips – they won’t make you sick.
It is also worth mentioning that if you see some organic growth or mold on chips, then the best thing you can do is to get rid of such chips as they can cause health problems if consumed. If you eat chips with mold on it, you can get food poisoning from it that is characterized by diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. So it is better to discard such chips to save yourself from such a situation.
Diarrhea is an indication of the body that a certain obnoxious agent has entered it. So consumption of bacteria-laden chips often causes diarrhea.
Food poisoning after consuming chips that have some organic growth on them is characterized by abdominal pain. Abdominal pain is also accompanied by vomiting and nausea in most cases.
If you have consumed chips that have microbial growth on them then you will experience nausea and vomiting which is the natural defense of the body to get rid of the unwanted harmful substance that has entered the body.
So if you have accidentally eaten chips with mold and now are suffering from vomiting or diarrhea, you should immediately look for medical help, moreover, you should drink a lot of water to compensate for the water loss that you are facing owing to vomiting and diarrhea. If you do not consume water, excessive vomiting can lead to weakness, dizziness, electrolyte-imbalance, and dehydration.
What is the shelf life of chips?
Different variants of chips have a different shelf life.
Packaged potato chips
Unopened packaged potato chips last for about 2-3 weeks if they are stored in a cool, dry, and dark corner of the pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Opened packaged potato chips last for about 5-7 days if it is stored in an air-tight container or plastic zipper bag in a cool, dry and dark corner of your pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Vegetable chips
Unopened vegetable chips last for about 2-3 weeks if they are stored in a cool, dry, and dark corner of the pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Bugles
Unopened Bugles last for about 2-3 weeks if they are stored in a cool, dry, and dark corner of the pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Fritos
Unopened Fritos last for about 2-3 weeks if they are stored in a cool, dry, and dark corner of the pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Chex mix
Unopened Chex mix lasts for about 2-3 weeks if it is stored in a cool, dry, and dark corner of the pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Pringles
Unopened Pringles last for about 2-3 weeks if they are stored in a cool, dry, and dark corner of the pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Tostitos
Unopened Tostitos last for about 3-4 weeks if they are stored in a cool, dry, and dark corner of the pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Doritos
Unopened Doritos last for about 3-4 weeks if they are stored in a cool, dry, and dark corner of the pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Goldfish
Unopened Goldfish last for about 3-4 weeks if stored in a cool, dry, and dark corner of the pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Crackers
Unopened Crackers last for about 3-4 weeks if they are stored in a cool, dry, and dark corner of the pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Open Crackers last for about 2-4 weeks if it is stored in a cool, dry and dark corner of the pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Packaged tortilla chips
Opened packaged tortilla chips last for about 1-2 weeks if they are stored in a cool, dry, and dark corner of the pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Homemade potato chips
Homemade potato chips last for about 2-3 days if they are stored in a cool, dry, and dark corner of the pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Other FAQs about Potatoes which you may be interested in.
How to keep sweet potatoes from turning brown after peeling?
Can I eat chips after the best-before date?
The “best by” or “best before” date that is written on the pack of chips refers to more of quality rather than safety so the chips don’t necessarily go bad immediately after the best before date. It is the time during which you can enjoy the peak quality and flavor of the chips but you can still eat chips that are past this date as long as it was stored properly.
How to properly store chips?
There are some things that you should always keep in view while storing your favorite chips. Chips should be stored in a cool, dry, and dark place away from direct sunlight and heat. Therefore you can safely store the chips in a cool and dry corner of your pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Open chips have to be stored in an air-tight container, a plastic zipper bag. It is necessary to store the chips this way so that no air and moisture will find their way to the chips and degrade their quality.
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we answered the question “Can you get sick from eating expired chips” with an in-depth analysis of whether or not you can get sick from eating expired chips. Moreover, we discussed the shelf life of chips and the proper way to store chips.
