Has my food gone bad? - Your expiry date guide in Japan

You found a snack at the corner of your cabinetーcollecting dust. When you flip it over, and there it is, the expiration date whispering tales of months gone by. We've all been there.

Expiration dates help ensure that food is consumed while it’s still safe to eat.

But, what about this snack? It only has its expiry month and year written. When should I toss this snack?

In Japan, including only the expiry month and year is a common thing for manufacturers to do. But fear not, snack enthusiast! This isn't a riddle; it's actually pretty straight-forward.

When only the year and month are written,  this means the snack will expire at the end of the month. Keep in mind that Japanese dates are typically written with the year first as Year/Month/Date. For example, December 14th 2023 would be written as: 2023.12.14 or 23.12.14.

Armed with this newfound wisdom, you can now snack with confidence and clarity. That Japanese treat hiding in your cabinet? If it's within the designated month and year, consider it fair game for a taste adventure. No more second-guessing, no more snack-related mysteries – just pure, unadulterated snacking delight!