Posted on 01/05/2005 5:17:29 PM PST by neverdem
An exceptionally health-conscious friend throws out any food that has passed the date stamped on the package. She has little understanding of what these dates mean and how they may affect the freshness or safety of the food in question. And she is not alone.
Dates on foods come in many different forms, and confusion about what they mean is widespread. Only a few reflect the safety of consuming a food past the stamped-on date.
When you look at the various kinds of dates printed on foods, it's no surprise that the dating process often fails to serve the consumer well. Here's what I found on various packaged foods I bought recently:
• On pasteurized orange juice purchased Oct. 7, just a date, "Nov 4."
• On ultrapasteurized milk bought Oct. 9, "Sell by 11 Nov 04."
• On Cheerios purchased in September, "Better if used by 03 April 05."
• On turkey tenderloin purchased Oct. 20, "Use or freeze by Nov 6 04."
• On a packaged salmon fillet bought Oct. 13, "Sell by Oct 17 04."
• On a can of chicken broth purchased on Oct. 15, "Best by Aug 06 2006."
• On ice cream bought on Oct. 8, "Best if purchased by 05/15/05."
• On a box of clementines purchased on Oct. 25, "Packed by 09 Oct 04."
• On a carton of eggs bought on Oct. 27, "Not to be sold after date stamped on carton - Exp Dec 1."
What the Dates Really Mean
All processed factory-packaged foods are dated. But most of the time the date is in a code that is essentially useless to the consumer.
Usually only the manufacturer and possibly the market manager can interpret these coded dates, which are there in case something unwholesome or dangerous is discovered in a product, necessitating a recall of all items packaged in the same place on the same date.
The code helps companies track distribution of a questionable product.
The federal government requires product dating only on poultry, infant formula and some baby foods. In many states, however, certain perishable foods are required to have an "open date" that consumers can read and presumably understand when selecting a product to be sure it is fresh.
For various other foods, dates are placed on products voluntarily by manufacturers to help consumers assess when a food might be past its peak in quality.
Knowing what the various open dates mean can help you determine whether you want to buy a given item or can give you a target date for having it used up.
PACKED ON This refers to the date the food was put in its package, not, in the case of fruit for example, when it was picked. Thus, the "packed on" date is only marginally useful and only if you know how long the particular food remains fresh.
In general, frozen foods are best used within a few months of the "pack" date and most canned foods are best used within a year.
SELL BY This is the last date on which a store should sell the product. This is also called the "pull date," the date when the product should be taken off the market shelf.
The "sell by" dates are often found on breads and bread products, dairy products, cold cuts and fresh fruit juices.
A sales exception is made for bakery products, which can be sold at a reduced price after this date (usually as "day old" products).
Most foods that have passed their "sell by" dates can still be safely consumed. Milk, for example, stays fresh in the refrigerator for about a week after the "sell by" date.
Also, in some cases, as with raw fish, meat or poultry, if you don't expect to be able to use the food by its "sell by" date, you can freeze it soon after purchase to prolong its freshness for months. Just be sure to wrap it well to prevent freezer burn.
Other perishable packaged foods that can be preserved by freezing include fruit juices, coffee, nuts, dried fruit and fresh cranberries. Many cheeses and cold cuts can also be frozen, though sometimes the texture will be affected.
BEST IF USED BY (USE BY) By this date, consumers should have used the product, if they are concerned about top quality.
It does not mean, however, that the product cannot be safely consumed beyond "quality assurance" or "freshness" date. A "best if used by" date is often found on cereal boxes and cheeses. I also found it on a box of rice and lentil pilaf.
EXPIRATION (EXP) Expiration dates are commonly found on yeast and baby formula and sometimes on milk.
Beyond the expiration date, most foods should not be used. Only when such a date has passed is it reasonable to discard the food without trying it first.
Eggs are an exception. Those that are federally graded must have expiration dates not later than 30 days from the time they are placed in the carton.
Stores may not sell the eggs beyond this date. Consumers, however, can use them safely for the next month or so, assuming they are kept refrigerated.
In addition to these dates, you may come across a few others, including just a plain date like the one on my orange juice container. (It has also come on a jar of instant coffee and a carton of prunes.)
What that means is anybody's guess, but based on experience, it sometimes means a "sell by" date (for example, for a more perishable product like juice) and sometimes a "best if used by" date indicating the duration of peak quality, as with the coffee and prunes.
Still another uncoded date is "born on," used on some beers to indicate when they are likely to taste best. According to Anheuser-Busch, which first used "born on" dates, beer is best consumed within 110 days of the date.
Aside from obvious dates, consumers would do well to heed a few other precautions about packaged foods.
Avoiding Kitchen Messes
Foods without an obvious expiration date, especially if they are high in acid, can go bad if kept too long. I recently had a long-forgotten can of anchovies leak all over my pantry shelf.
Years ago, we had a mess with canned crushed tomatoes that exploded all over the room, as soon as the can opener made a hole in the top.
High-acid canned foods like tomatoes and some fruits should be used within 18 months of purchase. Low-acid canned foods, like fish, meats and most vegetables and fruits, will keep in the pantry for two to five years.
Consider dating these cans when you buy them. Whatever the contents, never use food from a bulging can, and if you don't want a kitchenwide mess, don't try to open it before you discard it.
Foods stored in the freezer have other considerations, mainly related to quality and flavor.
If they have remained consistently frozen, they are safe to eat at any time. I recently made jam from wild plum juice I had kept frozen since 1986.
But meats, fish and poultry are highly vulnerable to freezer burn and loss of flavor if stored too long.
Fatty fish like salmon is best used within three months of the date it was frozen.
And, if you repackage foods before freezing them, be sure to put a date on the contents label.
I can't believe this article had to be written. I thought it was common sense, figuring out what foods are safe and when.
I want to know about the expired sour cream in my refrigerator. What is going to happen to it?
I was so mad the other day, I bought a package of mixed sliced cheese. you know it had cheddar, swiss, colby jack, and jalapeno... I went opened it the other day and most of it had MOLD! I looked at the expitation date and it said something like 2-21-05... :(
My understanding is that with certain of these foods, despite being packaged to keep for a long time, also start to lose their nutritional value.
And I have a lot of food with a "sell by" date of Jan. 9. Guess I'll have to have a yard sale this weekend.
Stuned Prunnes, my favorite.
Consume by Dec.31, 1857.
Honestly, who *didn't* know this stuff?
"it said something like 2-21-05... :("
Well, of course. Everyone knows that mold starts to go bad after 60 days. Duh!
I've often found that some meat and cheese packages get nicked by boxcutters when the staff is stocking the shelves. If the packaging is compromised, all bets are off. Most good grocers, though, will give you a refund.
LOL.
I was trying to figure out what part of my body
my prunes . . . were.
I always thought of the dates as a suggestion, not a rule.
same here.
I found a jar of tomato sauce in the back of my pantry that said "use by MDCLXVIII." It was right tasty...
"How can you tell if the prune is stoned?"
Listen carefully to see if its "Hey mannn" is slurred.
I have the opposite experiance with many aged and hard cheeses and the blue and roqforts L0L
They reduce the price drastically to move it as it approches the Exp date L0L
Whats gonna happen if the package is intact L0L It was in a cave for 2 years before they sent it to the store!
That's not mold....it's mould!
I've always liked Gallagher's question, "When yogurt goes bad, how can you tell?"
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