Canned Goods Resource Guide:
DO NOT eat canned foods from rusty or bulging cans.
Types of Dates
Safety After Date Expires
Except for "use-by" dates, product dates don't always refer to home storage
and use after purchase. "Use-by" dates usually refer to best quality and are
not safety dates. But even if the date expires during home storage, a
product should be safe, wholesome and of good quality — if handled properly
and kept at 40° F or below. See the accompanying refrigerator charts for
storage times of dated products. If product has a "use-by" date, follow that
date. If product has a "sell-by" date or no date, cook or freeze the product
by the times on the chart.
Foods can develop an off odor, flavor or appearance due to spoilage
bacteria. If a food has developed such characteristics, you should not use
it for quality reasons.
If foods are mishandled, however, foodborne bacteria can grow and cause
foodborne illness -- before or after the date on the package. For example,
if hot dogs are taken to a picnic and left out several hours, they wouldn't
be safe if used thereafter, even if the date hasn't expired.
Other examples of potential mishandling are products that have been:
defrosted at room temperature more than two hours; cross contaminated; or
handled by people who don't use proper sanitary practices. Make sure to
follow the handling and preparation instructions on the label to ensure top
quality and safety.
What Do Can Codes Mean?
Cans must exhibit a packing code to enable tracking of the product in
interstate commerce. This enables manufacturers to rotate their stock as
well as to locate their products in the event of a recall.
These codes, which appear as a series of letters and/or numbers, might refer
to the date or time of manufacture. They aren't meant for the consumer to
interpret as "use-by" dates. There is no book which tells how to translate
the codes into dates.
Cans may also display "open" or calendar dates. Usually these are "best if
used by" dates for peak quality.
In general, high-acid canned foods such as tomatoes, grapefruit and
pineapple can be stored on the shelf 12 to 18 months; low-acid canned foods
such as meat, poultry, fish and most vegetables will keep 2 to 5 years — if
the can remains in good condition and has been stored in a cool, clean, dry
place.
Dates on Egg Cartons
Use of either a "Sell-By" or "Expiration" (EXP) date is not federally
required, but may be State required, as defined by the egg laws in the State
where the eggs are marketed. Some State egg laws do not allow the use of a
"sell-by" date.
Many eggs reach stores only a few days after the hen lays them. Egg cartons
with the USDA grade shield on them must display the "pack date" (the day
that the eggs were washed, graded, and placed in the carton). The number is
a three-digit code that represents the consecutive day of the year (the
"Julian Date") starting with January 1 as 001 and ending with December 31 as
365. When a "sell-by" date appears on a carton bearing the USDA grade
shield, the code date may not exceed 45 days from the date of pack.
Always purchase eggs before the "Sell-By" or "EXP" date on the carton. After
the eggs reach home, refrigerate the eggs in their original carton and place
them in the coldest part of the refrigerator, not in the door. For best
quality, use eggs within 3 to 5 weeks of the date you purchase them. The
"sell-by" date will usually expire during that length of time, but the eggs
are perfectly safe to use.
UPC or
Bar Codes
Universal Product Codes appear on packages as black lines of varying widths
above a series of numbers. They are not required by regulation but
manufacturers print them on most product labels because scanners at
supermarkets can "read" them quickly to record the price at checkout.
Bar codes are used by stores and manufacturers for inventory purposes and
marketing information. When read by a computer, they can reveal such
specific information as the manufacturer's name, product name, size of
product and price. The numbers are not used to identify recalled products.
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