Best by date Archives - Best Food Facts Fri, 07 Dec 2018 21:07:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.2 Food Expiration Dates – What Do They Mean? https://www.bestfoodfacts.org/expiration-dates/ https://www.bestfoodfacts.org/expiration-dates/#respond Sat, 01 Dec 2018 14:36:47 +0000 //www.bestfoodfacts.org/?p=479 With all of the discussion about food waste online, we reached out to registered dietitian and author of the Sound Bites Blog, Melissa Joy Dobbins, MS, RDN, CDE, about how to understand food expiration dates. “As a registered dietitian and former supermarket dietitian, I’ve received many questions about the different dates on food packages. Most people...

The post Food Expiration Dates – What Do They Mean? appeared first on Best Food Facts.

]]>
With all of the discussion about food waste online, we reached out to registered dietitian and author of the Sound Bites BlogMelissa Joy Dobbins, MS, RDN, CDE, about how to understand food expiration dates.

“As a registered dietitian and former supermarket dietitian, I’ve received many questions about the different dates on food packages. Most people think the various dates refer to when a food will “go bad” or is “spoiled,” but sometimes the dates are simply an indication of quality and not food safety. Clear definitions and guidelines can help people make more informed choices about when to discard food. If you’re not sure if a product should be discarded or not, it’s always a good option to contact the manufacturer with questions about a specific product,” she explained.

Key Terms and Phrases to Know

Open Date uses a calendar date on a food product. The Open Date is not a safety date, instead, this label tells how long to display the product for sale at the store.

Best if Used By (or Before) date is recommended for best flavor or quality. This is not a date to purchase by, nor is it an indication that the product is unsafe after this date.

Use By date is the date recommended to use the product by in order to have the best quality. This date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product. Even after the Use By date, a food should remain safe and wholesome if it has been properly stored and handled. The Use By date is required on infant formula because, over time, formula can separate and clog the bottle’s nipple. Do not use infant formulas or similar medicinal food products such as oral nutritional supplements or meal replacements after its Use By date.

Closed or coded dates are packing numbers for use by the manufacturer.

Packaged on, Manufactured on or Prepared on. Packaging dates are closely related to best before dates and are intended to give consumers an idea of how long a product will maintain it’s quality. These dates are used on food products with a shelf life of 90 days or less.

Sell by or Freeze by dates are other voluntary markings used in Canada specifically, and can help the consumer make decisions about purchasing and storing food.

Canned foods are safe indefinitely except when they are exposed to freezing temperature or temperatures above 90° (32.2°C). A general rule is if the cans are not rusted, dented or swollen, they are safe for consumption; however, the following canned items are best used by the dates outlined below.

  • Canned tomatoes –  use within 12-18 months of purchase
  • Canned fruit –  use within 12-18 months of purchase
  • Canned vegetables – use within 2-5 years of purchase
  • Canned meat and fish – use within 2-5 years of purchase

Eggs

Purchase eggs before the Sell By or Expiration (EXP) date on the carton and use within 3-4 weeks of purchase. Refrigerate them in the original carton and store in the coldest part of the refrigerator, not in the door.

Robyn Barefoot, a registered dietitian and expert in reducing food waste, shared these guidelines for meat, fish and poultry:

Meats

Fresh meats such as beef, pork and lamb should be used within 2-4 days and kept refrigerated at 4 °C (40 °F). If it is brought home and placed directly in the freezer, it should be frozen at – 18 °C (0 °F) for up to 8-12 months. Ground meat and fresh seafood are an exception – due to their smaller surface area and increased exposure to oxygen, ground meats and fish such as scallops and shrimp should be kept in the fridge only 1-2 days before consumption and can last in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Fish

Lean and fatty fish (cod, flounder, salmon) should be used within 3-4 days when refrigerated. If freezing fish, lean white fish can be frozen up to 6 months but fatty fish such as salmon and trout only 2 months.

 Poultry

Use poultry within 2-3 days of purchase or freeze for 2-3 months.

“Ever unsure if a food is safe to eat? We know food waste should be kept to minimal, but do not risk your own health and safety. Contact the manufacturer for questions and concerns, and when in doubt, throw it out!” Barefoot advises.

For more information:

Melissa Joy Dobbins MS, RDN, CDE, of Sound Bites, talks about the importance of understanding food labels.

Moldy Bagels” by JyntoJyntomizo is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Originally published Nov. 19, 2013.

The post Food Expiration Dates – What Do They Mean? appeared first on Best Food Facts.

]]>
https://www.bestfoodfacts.org/expiration-dates/feed/ 0
Five Things to Know About the New Food Date Labels https://www.bestfoodfacts.org/five-things-to-know-about-the-new-food-date-labels/ https://www.bestfoodfacts.org/five-things-to-know-about-the-new-food-date-labels/#respond Wed, 19 Apr 2017 16:17:36 +0000 https://www.bestfoodfacts.org/?p=6681 Confused by expiration or “best before” dates on food? More than 10 different date labels are currently used on food products, which makes it difficult to know if a food is safe to eat. Those unclear labels are getting a makeover as grocery manufacturers and retailers have joined together to simplify the process. They are...

The post Five Things to Know About the New Food Date Labels appeared first on Best Food Facts.

]]>
Confused by expiration or “best before” dates on food? More than 10 different date labels are currently used on food products, which makes it difficult to know if a food is safe to eat.

Those unclear labels are getting a makeover as grocery manufacturers and retailers have joined together to simplify the process. They are introducing standard phrases that will state either “best if used by” or “use by.” Here’s what you need to know about the new labels.

  1. The program is voluntary. The Grocery Manufacturers Association and Food Marketing Institute are the two major trade associations for food retailers and manufacturing and are coordinating the effort. They expect food companies to begin phasing in the new labels soon, with the goal of widespread adoption by the summer of 2018. “We want to encourage a consistent vocabulary so that our customers understand they are purchasing products that are of the highest quality and safety possible,” said Leslie Sarasin, president and CEO of the Food Marketing Institute.
  2. Food dates are not regulated by the federal government. While the Food and Drug Administration does regulate food labels for nutrition and ingredients, there are no federal requirements for dating products. The only exception to this is infant formula. Food manufacturers provide date information to help consumers and retailers decide when food is of the best quality, but the dates do not necessarily indicate the safety of food.
  3. “Best If Used By” will appear on most food. This phrase helps consumers to understand that the product may not taste as expected after this date, but is still safe to use or consume. It is not an expiration date.
  4. “Use By” will appear on highly perishable foods. This phrase will be used only on products where food safety will be a concern at a certain point. When you see a product with this label, it should be discarded after that date.
  5. The new labels will reduce food waste. Confusing date labels cause many consumers to throw out food unnecessarily. About a third of Americans always discard food close to or past the date on the label and 84 percent do so occasionally, a study by the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic and the National Resources Defense Council found. “Clarifying and standardizing date label language is one of the most cost-effective ways that we can reduce the 40 percent of food that goes to waste each year in the United States,” said Emily Broad Leib, director of the policy clinic.

The new date labels will make it easier to understand the safety and quality of food. It will also mean less food is wasted and that is a welcome change.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The post Five Things to Know About the New Food Date Labels appeared first on Best Food Facts.

]]>
https://www.bestfoodfacts.org/five-things-to-know-about-the-new-food-date-labels/feed/ 0