Some products have Julian dating, which is easier to understand IF you know which type of Julian dating is used. For example: 0951145ZA could be either April 24, 2005 or May 25, 2009. Big difference. Other companies use intentionally obscure information, mixing letters and numbers into indecipherable gibberish.

These codes compound the problem of grocery stores not removing expired foods and other products from store shelves. By learning these secret date codes, you can beat their sneaky system and be a clever shopper!

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July 13, 2008

Buffalo News

Consumers were surprised last month when state Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo announced his intention to sue two drug store chains – Rite Aid and CVS – for selling expired dairy products, medicine and baby formula.

But, what is perhaps more surprising is that neither federal nor state law requires most food items to be pulled from shelves past a certain date.

Photo: Kim Offhaus is a cautious shopper and regularly finds products expired but still for sale on the grocery shelves. (Angela Shoemaker/ Buffalo News)

“The truth is, there really are no policies as far as requirements for expiration dates on products – except for pharmaceuticals and baby food,” said Ann McCarthy, consumer affairs manager for Wegmans.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, the federal government requires expiration dates be printed on infant formula and baby food, and those items must be removed for sale after that date. Retailers who don’t can be held legally and financially responsible, as was evidenced in the attorney general’s investigation.

But as far as other consumables are concerned, as long as a date is not tampered with to mislead the consumer about a product’s freshness, there are no hard and fast rules about pulling items from the shelves past their prime.

But that doesn’t mean retailers don’t have systems to ensure the food on their shelves is fresh.

Just as a consumer might grab a gallon of milk from the back of the cooler to ensure the freshest item available, retailers demand a long shelf life from vendors. Deliveries of items too near an expiration date are refused.

In addition, employees routinely check for and remove outdated or nearly outdated items from shelves, using expiration dates as a guide. Items nearing expiration are often clearly marked with reduced prices for a quicker sale.

Still, one or two items are bound to slip through the cracks. During an informal walk-through of the major local chains, at least one expired item was found at each.

That is why Kim Offhaus of Lancaster makes it a point to check expiration dates on every single thing she puts in her cart. After bringing home several expired items, including year-old Pedialyte and moldy cream cheese, she is not taking any chances.

“I analyze everything,” she said. “I know people walk by me and look as I’m checking the dates thinking I’m weird, but I’m not going to feed my kids something that’s old.”

Offhaus said she routinely scans her cupboards for expired goods and discards them. She worries containers left sitting in stores or at home might have a better chance of attracting vermin or getting otherwise soiled.

“Even with canned foods and things like boxed noodles, you just never know,” Offhaus said. “I always check. It’s for my own good.” In fact, listing dates on food items is a voluntary practice, one most

grocery stores and manufacturers engage in to help them rotate inventory and offer the freshest goods possible.

“It helps give retailers a method of inventory control so they can make sure they’re rotating their stock properly – first in, first out,” said Bruce Krupke, executive vice president of the trade association New York State Dairy Foods. “As consumers, we like to know what the shelf life of a product is so we don’t eat anything too old or stale.”

That means if a jar of mayonnaise sits on a shelf past its freshness date and ends up in a customer’s basket, no one but the consumer can take the blame. That is why consumer advocates recommend checking freshness dates before making a purchase.

“You want to make sure your food is fresh,” said Deborah Sturm Rausch, a spokeswoman for the state Consumer Protection Board. “You want to make sure the [freshness] date is as far off as possible . . . to stretch your dollar.”

Still, most companies have return policies that allow for the exchange of outdated goods. With a receipt, Wegmans, Tops, Budwey’s and Dash’s supermarkets will refund money paid for expired items. Those without a receipt can be exchanged for store credit.

Photo: How to read freshness labels: Best if used by or best before – The item should be used before the printed date for the best quality and flavor, but is safe if consumed after. Closed or coded dates – Printed for use by the manufacturer, dates found on canned and dry goods are often indecipherable to consumers. Some use a month-day-year code (MMDDYYYY) or the Julian calendar, in which every day of the year is consecutively numbered. For example, in the Julian calendar, January 1 would be printed 001 and December 31 would appear as 365. (HOLLY NOTE: This is only one type of Julian dating – the easiest to guess at and understand. Products aren't marked with a comment like "Julian dating used here". Julian dates can contain fewer numbers or partial dates like only 2 digits for the year instead of 4, and the year can appear before or behind the month and day. You have to know which system is used or a "guess" could be wrong by years. Sell by – This tells the store how long to display an item. You will want to consume, cook or freeze the item within one to two days. Use by – This is the last day the manufacturer predicts the item will be edible at “peak quality.”

Though expiration dates themselves are not mandated, product quality is.

“Stores are not required to date items, but they are required to sell wholesome food,” said Jessica Chittenden, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. “Sell-by dates are a tool that helps them manage that.”

In other words, a spoiled carton of milk displayed within its stamped expiration date would be a no-no, whereas a wholesome pound of ground beef offered for sale after its sell-by date – while off-putting – is not unlawful.

That is because, contrary to popular belief, display dates speak to an item’s quality rather than its safety. In most cases, if properly handled, food kept after its listed date will be safe – if not pleasant – to eat. The date listed is the manufacturer’s best estimation of the product’s peak taste and quality.

Wegmans brand products, like those at most local markets, tend to display what is called an “open date.” McCarthy said printed “sell-by” or “use-by” dates are meant to aid shoppers as they make purchasing decisions.

“We work with all of our suppliers so that dates are provided in a language customers can understand,” she said. “[But] the freshness of a product is dictated by a lot of variables – whether it’s sealed properly, kept at the right temperature, all kinds of things.”

Food and Drug Administration guidelines note food can spoil before the expiration date arrives if it is mishandled. A lot can happen from the car trunk to the kitchen table, so the FDA urges consumers to keep food – especially meat and seafood – sealed and refrigerated at less than 40 degrees.

Food should be consumed or cooked before its listed “use-by” date or within one or two days of its “sell-by” date.

Food that is immediately and properly frozen is considered safe indefinitely. Of course, food containing harmful bacteria such as salmonella or E. coli will be unsafe even before it expires.

Retailers want to keep unsafe or unsavory items off shelves as much as consumers want to avoid buying them.

“We have to protect consumers and we have to protect our reputation,” said Frank Budwey, owner of Budweys supermarkets. “We can’t have consumers throwing things out or returning spoiled food all the time. That would not only be frustrating for them, but it would obviously hurt sales for us.”

http://www.buffalonews.com/businesstoday/localbusiness/story/390865.html

www.standeyo.com/NEWS/08_Food_Water/080714.expired.dates.html