Excerpts from
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/...rss_topStories

Dates on food labels? Here's what you need to know:

"Sell by" is a guide for the store to know how long it can display a
product for sale. The "best before" or "best if used by" date refers
to quality or flavor of the food. "Use by" works more like an
expiration date, similar to that on medicines.

Few folks know when they buy meat, even if the sell-by date is five
days away, the refrigerator at home isn't cold enough to keep the meat
fresh for more than two days. Usually, raw meat is kept at around 30
degrees, while the home refrigerator's temperature is set around 40
degrees.

Even frozen meats don't last forever. Some, like ground beef, need to
be consumed within three months of being frozen. Ground meat spoils
more quickly because there's more surface area for bacteria to grow
on.

The FDA only requires a use-by, or expiration, date on infant formula.
That's because formula must contain a certain quantity of each
nutrient that is described on the label. And if formula is stored too
long, it loses its nutritional quality, and also separates or forms
lumps that will clog the bottle nipple.

The Agriculture Dept only requires labeling of the date when poultry
is packed at the farm. However, many manufacturers are allowed to add
sell-by or use-by dates. Grocery stores that grind their own meat can
add their own package labels.

In fact, both the FDA and the USDA have a pretty laissez-faire
attitude when it comes to food shelf-life labeling. Most of these
dates are not an indicator of safety, but rather of quality. Some
foods spoil if not refrigerated quickly enough - but they won't kill
you.

Milk, for instance, starts deteriorating quite quickly. Pasteurized
milk usually remains fresh for five days after its sell-by date.
However, if milk isn't refrigerated promptly, it will develop a sour
taste and spoil, even though it might not necessarily be dangerous.
Milk can lose vitamins when exposed to light, which is why it usually
comes in opaque plastic or paperboard. The USDA claims that there is
no significant difference in the nutritional value of pasteurized and
unpasteurized milk, though pasteurized milk is a lot safer.

If a product already has harmful bacteria like salmonella or listeria
in it, the bacteria will multiply and develop colonies within days,
even in the refrigerator. In cases where the bacteria is already
there, the use-by dates become irrelevant because they can harm you
much before then. Soft cheeses like brie and camembert are also likely
to carry listeria, and should be eaten within three to four days of
opening.

Many other foods, like potato chips or mayonnaise, that have oils or
fat, will go rancid and taste bad before they can breed bacteria.
Surprisingly enough, eggs have a pretty long shelf life and can last
as long as five weeks after the sell-by date if refrigerated properly.



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