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Dear Miriam,
While starting to get my house ready for Passover, I’ve discovered a lot of snacks that are just past their expiration date. I don’t want to keep them because I won’t eat them now that they’re expired, but I also don’t want to waste them by throwing them away. Is it OK to donate these?
Signed,
Whole Lotta Chametz
Dear Lotta,
Before you rely on my answer, I want you to ask yourself why you won’t eat these things. Is it because you just know you won’t eat food past its expiration date? Is it because you need the shelf space now, and after Passover, they’ll be even older? Is it because the food is actually bad?
I encourage you to think about food like clothes. If you’re giving away clothes because they no longer fit, that’s great. Better for someone else to use them. But if you’re giving your clothes away because they have holes in them, likely, no one else wants to wear them either. Then they’re not donations, they’re trash. So if the snacks are bad, there’s nothing left to discuss: Do not give bad food to other people, no matter how much need they may be in.
If you’re not sure, and you really want to give these snacks away, you need to be willing to try them. If you take a taste and it’s fine, go ahead and donate them. Many foods really are good past their expiration dates. But you may need to think creatively about how to get them into the right hands. Many food pantries won’t accept food past its date, even if you vouch for it. You could give food directly to unhoused people you may see, or leave the snacks near trash cans in parks where you know people are likely to come looking for food. In my neighborhood, we have a community fridge and pantry designed just for items like this. Perhaps after Passover, you could advocate for something similar in your neighborhood.
If the food is not fit for eating, hopefully you have access to a place where you can compost it rather than putting it into the trash. Hopefully, you can also recycle or reuse any packaging rather than throwing it away. With the memory of these snacks in mind, as you do your Passover shopping, try to buy just as much as you need for the week. Even less than expired chametz snacks, no one wants leftover Tam Tams or Crispy-O’s. And finally, as you think about wanting your food to go to good use, consider a pre-Passover donation to a food bank, which will go even further to support people in need than your expired remainders.
Be well,
Miriam