The TRUTH about Expiration Dates - Part 2
Jason Richards
"Discard by" date
The "Discard by" date is being used less and less by the food industry however; you may still find it on some products. If you do then it is best to discard the product on this date as the manufacturer is claiming the food may not be safe after this date. You may see this on some dairy products, produce and a few packaged items.
Normally this is only found on baby foods and formula. The reason for this is your baby generally cannot tell you when an item tastes or smells bad and we all know baby food generally tastes and smells bad anyway so, how would you even know? Those funny little faces our babies make when eating could mean anything. The answer is you do not know, so it is a best practice to throw baby food and formula away when it expires. The same applies to any other food product you find with an actual expiration date.
"Closed" and "Coded" systems
What do those codes mean? Well this is where it gets really, and I mean REALLY, confusing. The codes you see on the sides of cans, cereal boxes, jars, jugs, packages and so forth are manufacturing codes which are often referred to as "lots" or "batch codes". Sometimes we make ourselves believe there is some hidden "Da Vinci" style or cryptographic code and we have all tried to figure these things out. The truth is these are codes the manufacturer uses to identify several factors at once.
The numbers may change based on a variety of things including but not limited to, the date, the ingredients, plant, machine and so forth. They may also identify the source of certain ingredients such as the farm cows or chickens were purchased from, the supplier of ingredients for that particular batch and so on. These are also used to identify certain batches that may be included in a recall.
"Can Codes"
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 are not meant for the consumer to interpret as "use-by" dates. There is no book or Web site that 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. Canned foods are safe indefinitely as long as they are not exposed to freezing temperatures, or temperatures above 90 °F (32.2° C). If the cans look ok, they are generally safe to use. Discard cans that are dented, rusted, or swollen. High-acid canned foods (tomatoes, fruits) will keep their best quality for 12 to 18 months; low-acid canned foods (meats, vegetables) for 2 to 5 years.
The charts below are supplied by the USDA and we hope you find them helpful.
Refrigerator Home Storage (at 40 °F [4.4 °C] or below) of Fresh or Uncooked 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 following chart.
Refrigerator Storage of Fresh or Uncooked Products
Product & Storage Times After Purchase
Poultry
1 or 2 days
Beef, Veal, Pork and Lamb
3 to 5 days
Ground Meat and Ground Poultry
1 or 2 days
Fresh Variety Meats
(Liver, Tongue, Brain, Kidneys, Heart, Chitterlings)
1 or 2 days
Cured Ham, Cook-Before-Eating
5 to 7 days
Sausage from Pork, Beef or Turkey, Uncooked
1 or 2 days
Eggs
3 to 5 weeks
Refrigerator Home Storage (at 40 °F [4.4 ºC] or below) of Processed Products Sealed at Plant
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 following chart.
Refrigerator Storage of Processed Products Sealed at Plant
Processed Product
Unopened After Purchase
After Opening
Cooked Poultry
3 to 4 days 3 to 4 days
Cooked Sausage 3 to 4 days 3 to 4 days
Sausage, Hard/Dry, shelf-stable 6 weeks/pantry 3 weeks
Corned Beef, uncooked in pouch with pickling juices 5 to 7 days 3 to 4 days
Vacuum-packed Dinners 2 weeks 3 to 4 days
Bacon 2 weeks 7 days
Hot dogs 2 weeks 1 week
Luncheon meat 2 weeks 3 to 5 days
Ham, fully cooked 7 days 7 days
Ham, canned, labeled “keep refrigerated” 9 months 3 to 4 days
Ham, canned, shelf stable 2 years/pantry 3 to 4 days
Canned Meat and Poultry 2 to 5 years/pantry 3 to 5 days
We hope this article helps you save a ton of money on food that you otherwise may be wasting each year.
Stay safe. Stay prepared,
Jason Richards