Ha! This is reminding me of the Expired products in your closet thread where I posted that I probably had some soup/seasoning packets from the Carter administration. I don’t pay much attention to expiration dates. When I went to look, I found these in my soup/seasonings Tupperware box, in decreasing expiration order:
Kroger Taco Seasoning (5/1/13)
Kroger Salad Magic Ranch Dressing Mix (2 pks, 1/6/10)
Kroger Salad Magic Zesty Italian Mix (4 pks, 1/3/08)
Kroger Sloppy Joe Mix (2 pks, 12/7/02)
…and 1 packet each of Hot&Sour Soup Mix and a Thai Peanut Dressing Mix both from DeMoulas Market Basket (no expiration dates) from when we lived in MA. Given that we moved to AZ in ‘99, these two have survived multiple moves.
I pay no attention to expiration dates and just use my senses to determine if an item still passes muster. Because we are heavily vegetarian/pescatarian, the contents of the fridge/freezer rotate quickly, but some pantry items can be carbon dated, and I’m OK with that.
Now that we split time between two places, I have to totally empty the fridge and clean out most of the pantry when we switch places. I no longer have any expired items.