If you’ve ever thrown away a carton of milk or a container of yogurt because the date on the packaging had passed, you’re not alone. Many people discard food based on the date printed on the label, but often it is still perfectly edible, according to experts.
What Do Food Date Labels Mean?
With no federal regulations requiring standardized labels for dates on food except for baby formula, it’s no surprise that deciphering terms like “Best Before,” “Best By,” “Best If Used By,” “Enjoy By,” and “Sell By” can be confusing.
California is trying to bring some clarity with a new law that requires food manufacturers to use just two labels: one for quality and another for safety.
According to Donald Schaffner, a food safety expert at Rutgers University, “The date labels guarantee quality up until that point. They are not about the safety of a product.”
How to Use Your Best Judgment
Unopened canned food, like beans, tomatoes, fruit, and vegetables, will last for years after the date stamped on its label. The same goes for boxes of soy milk or almond milk, or any food that’s been heat-treated and sealed to stay safe without refrigeration.
Dry goods, like cookies, crackers, and cereal, also have a long shelf life because the low moisture in them doesn’t allow bacteria to grow. “People can use their best judgment by smelling and tasting the product because dry crackers and cookies, and things of that nature, may be stale but they are not going to make you sick if you eat them,” said Rachel Zemser, a San Francisco Bay Area food scientist.
However, extra precautions should be taken with beef, chicken, or fish. They can go bad even if it’s in your refrigerator, but wrapping them tight in plastic and freezing them before the “best by” date on their packaging could help them last longer.
The FoodKeeper, a website and free app developed by the Department of Agriculture, Cornell University, and the Food Marketing Institute, provides guidance on how long foods stay fresh and safe to eat.
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
