The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, and mooncakes have become an indispensable festive delicacy for every household. However, before indulging in this sweetness, checking the mooncake’s shelf life is a crucial step that should not be overlooked. Sometimes, people tend to buy mooncakes in advance for stockpiling, but they may unintentionally overlook the expiration date due to prolonged storage. Consuming expired mooncakes may pose health risks. Expired mooncakes not only significantly reduce their nutritional value, but their fats and proteins may oxidize, affecting their taste and flavor. Furthermore, since mooncakes are not vacuum-sealed, trace bacteria inside the packaging may slowly affect the mooncakes. Though this process may not be visibly detectable, it could lead to discomfort in the stomach or diarrhea after consumption.
In reality, the expiration date indicated on mooncakes mainly refers to the time limit for maintaining the best quality for consumption. Under ideal conditions, even if mooncakes slightly exceed this limit, they can still be consumed theoretically as long as they are stored in a dry and clean environment. However, this undoubtedly increases health risks. Therefore, for safety reasons, it is best to avoid consuming any food that has passed its expiration date. Developing the habit of checking the expiration dates of food is an important step in ensuring food safety, ensuring both delicious food and good health, making the Mid-Autumn reunion even more fulfilling.
