Can Rice-A-Roni go bad???

aphex

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Jul 19, 2001
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The package has an expiration date on it (at least i think its one, i doubt its a Born on Date :) ), but i was thinkin... What can go bad in these things?
 

Sir Fredrick

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Oct 14, 1999
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I've had a couple packages get squirmy wormies in it after it had been sitting up on the shelf forever...you know, the ones that turn into moths.

Anyway, I didn't know about them until I started to sautee the rice a roni, and then these things are like jumping up off the pan because it was hot, and you can see them crawling around, and it was awful and disgusting and gross. I threw out the whole thing and forgot about eating for the rest of the day.

Other than that I doubt anything'll go bad on it.
 

mithrandir2001

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May 1, 2001
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I believe that rice sealed in a cool, dry place has an "infinite" lifespan. But if that Rice-a-roni stuff has powder mixed in the rice, then it does have a shelflife.
 

aphex

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That statement right there is enough to make me never eat ricearoni ever again.. Thank you :)
 

Sir Fredrick

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<< How did they get in there in the first place?!?!? >>



Well, the boxes aren't perfectly sealed, and I hate to break this to you, but we eat food that has insect eggs in it all the time; it's not just rice-a-roni. Usually we eat the food long before they have a chance to hatch, but it is virtually impossible to prevent 100% of the food from ever getting bug eggs in it.
I've seen the same sort of thing happen with pasta, only the bugs were microscopic, most people wouldn't have even noticed them.

Also happens in birdseed a lot, or any sort of grains. If you have anything like that in your house for a real long time (especially in bulk), you WILL have moths eventually; either they'll find the food or they'll hatch from it.