![Frozen fish expiration date Frozen fish expiration date](https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/shutterstock_602814887-1.jpg)
The dates on food labels can be confusing. The truth is, they often have nothing to do with food safety. Here's what you really need to know.
You’ve assembled everything you need for the perfect deli sandwich: Genoa salami, prosciutto, some thinly sliced provolone and a crusty baguette. To top it all off, you reach into the fridge for your favorite spicy mustard.
And then you notice it. The “Best By” date on the mustard bottle was 4 months ago!
You might think you’ve got to ditch the mustard and settle for a ho-hum sandwich. But that’s not the case. Here’s what you need to know about food expiration dates:
Use-By, Best if Used By, Best By, Best Before:
These 'use by' and “best” dates are generally found on shelf-stable products such as mustard, mayonnaise, and peanut butter.
The date, which is provided voluntarily by the manufacturer, tells you how long the product is likely to remain at its absolute best quality when unopened. But, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service points out, it is not a safety date.
After the 'use by' or “best” date has passed, you may start to notice gradual changes in the unopened product’s texture, color, or flavor. But as long as you’ve been storing the unopened item properly, you can generally consume it beyond this date.
Your best bet for gauging whether an unopened shelf-stable product with this type of date is still of satisfactory quality is to simply smell and examine it first. Always discard foods that have developed an off odor, flavor or appearance. You can also consult the Keep It or Toss It database for optimal food storage times, for both unopened and opened items.
Fsx product key finder. Sell-By:
Most sell-by dates are found on perishables like meat, seafood, poultry and milk. The date is a guide for stores to know how long they can display a particular product.
You should buy the product before the sell-by date expires. But you can still store it at home for some time beyond that date, as long as you follow safe storage procedures (check the Keep It or Toss It database for the shelf life of specific foods).
For instance, milk that has been continuously refrigerated will usually remain drinkable for about one week after the 'sell by' date on the package. Likewise, you can store ground beef in your refrigerator for 1 to 2 days after purchasing it, even if the sell-by date expires during that time.
Expires On:
The only place you’re likely to encounter this type of date is on infant formula and some baby foods, which are the only food products the federal government regulates with regard to dating. You should always use the product before this expiration date has passed.
Packing codes:
These codes, which appear as a series of letters and/or numbers on the package, sometimes indicate the date or time of manufacture. Often, though, they simply appear as a meaningless jumble.
Either way, packing codes help manufacturers and grocers rotate their stock and quickly locate products in the event of a recall. But they are not meant to be interpreted as an indicator of either food safety or quality.
For more information on product dating, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service Web site.
For shelf life informatmation for specific foods, check our Keep It or Toss It database.
Note: This article refers to labeling terminology used in the United States; practices in other countries may differ.
My freezer is the repository for all un-eaten things great and small. That last pork chop no one wanted? In the freezer! A batch of pierogi for fall meals? In the freezer! Some strawberries about to go bad? Yup, in the freezer! With so much going in there, it might be weeks or (more likely) months before I get around to using many of these things. Which raises some good questions: How long do freezer foods really keep? Do they have an expiration date?
There’s a short and a long answer here. The short answer is that foods will keep indefinitely in a frozen state. That’s right — as long as your freezer is plugged in and functioning normally, frozen foods will never expire, go bad, or pose any health issues.
I’m sure many of you are giving me quizzical looks right now, so let’s jump into the longer answer: while foods will technically keep forever, they do not actually stay tasty forever.
Freezer burn is the foe of any frozen food. It creeps into packages, covers once-delicious foods with frost, and then sucks the moisture out of them. When thawed, foods that developed freezer burn look desiccated and limp. You can cook them, technically, but they will lack good flavor or texture.
Freezer burn is inevitable in even the most well-packaged foods. Vacuum sealing is the best deterrent. Second to that is sucking or pressing as much air out of your package as possible. This is one big reason why I use plastic bags for freezer foods instead of other containers — it’s much easier to get the air out of a bag than a stiff plastic or glass container.
As a general rule of thumb, frozen food will keep for three months in a standard home freezer before starting to show signs of freezer burn. This is true for raw meats, cooked meats, prepared foods, breads, and anything else you might think of freezing. This said, if you pull something out of the freezer that’s older than three months and it doesn’t show signs of freezer burn, it’s probably still good to eat. How the food was packaged, how often you opened the freezer (which quickens freezer burn), and other factors can extend the “shelf life” of your frozen food.
Do you find this to be true? How long do you keep foods in your freezer?
For more information, take a look at this handy chart from the FDA:
→ Refrigerator and Freezer Food “Best By” Guideleines from the FDA
- Best if Used By/Before Date
- Sell-By or Pull-By Date
- Pack Date
- Storing Food After Purchase
When purchasing packaged foods, most of us look for some type of expiration date, sell-by date, or use-by date imprinted on the container to determine the freshness. What those dates mean, however, is confusing, and once the item is in your fridge or pantry and has reached that date, you may wonder whether you need to toss the product or if it is still safe to eat.
You may be surprised to learn that dating is not required by US federal law, with the exception of infant formula and baby foods, which must be withdrawn from the market by their expiration date. Freshness dating and the terms used is voluntary on the part of manufacturers, except for dairy foods and meat in some states.
To add to this challenge, stores are not legally required to remove outdated products from their shelves, and although most markets are vigilant about rotating stock, some are not. In a properly stocked store, the freshest items will be at the back of the shelf or underneath older items; this helps the store move older merchandise. Thus, in order to ensure you are getting the freshest product, it is necessary to scrutinize packaging and choose the longest outdates. But first, you need to understand what each date distinction means.
Best if Used By/Before Date
Out of all of the date terminology, the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service prefers this wording as they think it is the easiest for consumers to understand. With an emphasis on the best qualifier in this term, it means the product should retain maximum freshness, flavor, and texture if used by this date. It is not a purchase-by or safety date. Beyond this date, the product begins to deteriorate, although it may still be edible. The Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute also favor these terms rather than 'expires on' or 'sell by.'
'Use by' date has a similar meaning to 'best if used by.' It means the product will have the best qualities if consumed by the date noted. The USDA prefers manufacturers to add 'best' to this phrase.
Expiration Date
This phrasing is often present on packaging for meats and some dairy as some states require an expiration date on meat or milk. It's best not to use the product past this listed date in those cases as it signifies when the food most likely will spoil. For other food items, the manufacturer may have simply chosen to use 'expires by' instead of 'best if used by' to warn that the product may be stale or have lost its flavor by that date. Check all food carefully for signs of spoilage.
![Frozen Frozen](https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/shutterstock_150754454-300x300.jpg)
Meat Expiration Dates Unopened
Sell-By or Pull-By Date
The 'sell-by' date is geared toward the supermarket versus the home kitchen. This distinction is used by manufacturers to tell grocers when to remove their product from the shelves, but there is generally still some leeway for home usage. For example, milk often has a sell-by date, but the milk will usually still be good for at least a week beyond that date if properly refrigerated.
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Guaranteed Fresh Date
You will most often find this phrase on perishable baked goods, meaning that beyond this date, freshness is no longer guaranteed. However, the product may still be edible.
Pack Date
Mostly used on canned and boxed goods, this date refers to when the item was packed. It is usually in the form of an encrypted code not easy to decipher. It may be coded by month (M), day (D), and year (Y), such as YYMMDD or MMDDYY. Or it may be coded using Julian (JJJ) numbers, where January 1 would be 001 and December 31 would be 365. In even more convoluted coding, letters A through M (omitting the letter I) are often assigned to the months, with A being January and M being December; the letter is in combination with a numeric day, either preceded or followed by the numeric year.
Checking Dates When Buying Food
Whether 'best by,' 'sell by,' or 'expires,' all of these dates are placed on food packaging to ensure good food safety. In addition to reading these dates, following a few tips will help you get the most out of the food you purchase.
When buying foods, always check the expiration date. Select the date farthest in the future for optimum shelf-life. One type of product to carefully scrutinize is a baking mix; many contain dehydrated fats which can become rancid with time or leaveners that may lose their potency. Make sure you check the date.
![Frozen Frozen](https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shutterstock_1013189377-300x300.jpg)
Keep in mind that fresher packages may be at the rear of the shelf or buried behind other products. Depending on how quickly you will be using an item, it may be worth digging out the newer product, but be sure to re-stack for the grocer.
Regardless of the expiration date, do not take a chance on cans that are bulging or oozing from the seam. Dented cans should also be avoided.
Storing Food After Purchase
Frozen Fish Expiration Date
To ensure your food retains its best quality for the longest period of time, there are a few simple steps to follow when grocery shopping. For one, get your food home quickly from the store and into proper storage; if you are running errands, make the supermarket your last stop.
Once home, take a tip from grocers and rotate your stock in your pantry and fridge. Rather than trying to decipher cryptic codes on cans, use a marker to write the purchase date on packaged foods to help you judge their age. Also examine cellophane, plastic, and box packages to be sure they are not punctured or torn. Once the seal is penetrated, the integrity of the contents is compromised.
Optimum storage temperature for canned goods is 65 F; higher storage temperatures can reduce shelf-life by up to 50 percent. Some canned goods (such as condiments and pickled items) will still retain some longevity if refrigerated. Most condiments will have a warning to refrigerate after opening if necessary, so check the packaging carefully.
Most canned goods can be stored up to one year at an optimum temperature. Citrus fruits, fruit juices, pickles, peppers, sauerkraut, green beans, asparagus, beets, and all tomato products should be used within six months. If summer heat brings your kitchen temperature to 75 F. or above, even for a short time period, cut those storage times in half.
In general, foods canned in glass have a longer shelf-life. However, they must be stored in the dark since light can accelerate some natural chemical reactions. Canned foods should never be frozen in the can or jar; the expansion can split the seams of the can or break the glass container.
Once opened, many of the dates become obsolete since the contents now become perishable. Therefore, it is advisable to use products as quickly as possible after opening. Be sure to refrigerate leftovers in a covered container (and not the can it came in) and use within three to five days.
Your best defense is to trust your eyes and nose. If it looks bad or smells bad, toss it out.