In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “Can you get sick from eating expired butter?” with an in-depth analysis of signs of bad butter and storage of butter. Moreover, we are going to discuss the nutritional value and health benefits of butter.
Can you get sick from eating expired butter?
No, eating expired butter doesn’t make you sick.
Eating rancid butter would not cause food poisoning in you.
What are the effects of using expired butter?
Eating expired butter does not cause food poisoning, the mild symptom you can face is stomach ache.
Short term use of the expired butter will not cause any severe health problems but if you have consumed the expired butter for a long duration it can;
- Decrease the vitamin E and Vitamin B stores
- Increases the number of free radicals in the body causing damage to the proteins, DNA and cells etc
- produce carcinogenic radicals in the body leading to the abnormal body functioning
What does the best before date on the butter packages mean?
The butter packages usually come with the best before the date which is written on it by manufacturers.
The best before date refers to the ill you can enjoy the best quality of the butter.
It doesn’t refer to the expiry date and you can even use the butter after this date passes if the butter hasn’t gone bad.
What are the signs of bad butter?
If you notice any of the following signs, it means your butter has gone bad;
- Decolonization is a sign of bad butter. Good butter has a yellowish color.
- But if you notice the lighter color of the butter from inside, it means your butter has gone bad.
- Molds are also sometimes grown on the bad butter in the form of black spots.
- Bad butter also has an unpleasant odor. It is also a sign of bad butter.
- When butter goes bad, its texture also changes and it becomes soft and mushy.
- Bad butter also has a sour, cheesy taste.
How to properly store the butter?
If the butter has been properly stored, it can help in increasing the shelf life of the butter.
To properly store the butter for a longer period, follow the instructions given below;
- Keep the butter in the refrigerator.
- If you don’t use butter frequently, try to keep the butter in the main body of the refrigerator to avoid its exposure to the warm area.
- Use an airtight container to store the butter or you can use a plastic wrapper or aluminum foil for this purpose.
- Another way to store butter is to store it by freezing it in the freezer.
- Before freezing the butter, make sure to store it in the aluminum foil or tightly wrapped bag.
What is the shelf life of the butter?
The shelf life of the butter depends on its storage such as;
- Unopened and passed date butter can last for at least an hour in the refrigerator and for six to nine months in the freezer.
- Regular opened butter can be used for two weeks if kept in the fridge. However, if it is unopened it can last for at least two weeks at room temperature.
- Nowadays salted butter is also used, salted butter has a longer shelf life due to the presence of salt in it.
- Salted butter can last for five months in the refrigerator and a year in the freezer.
- On the other hand, flavored butter which is butter mixed with herbs, spices etc can last for five days in the refrigerator and six months in the freezer.
What is the nutritional value of the butter?
The nutritional value for one tablespoon (14 grams) of butter is as follows;
- Calories: 102
- Total fat: 11.5 grams
- Vitamin A: 11% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
- Vitamin E: 2% of the RDI
- Vitamin B12: 1% of the RDI
- Vitamin K: 1% of the RDI
What are the health benefits of butter?
Some of the health benefits of the butter are as follows;
- Butter is mostly used by people who crave a high fat and low-carb diet because butter is more satisfying than other alternatives.
- There are also high amounts of fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins present in the butter.
- Fatty acids are good for the health of your heart and reduce the risk of heart diseases.
- Butter also helps in increasing bone density and regulating immune responses.
Here are the allergies caused by butter and the adverse effects of the butter.
Conclusion:
In this brief guide, we answered the question “Can you get sick from eating expired butter?” with an in-depth analysis of signs of bad butter and storage of butter. Moreover, we discussed the nutritional value and health benefits of butter.