The Real Scoop About Dates on Food

One way to stretch the food budget is by buying food when the price has been reduced. The best bargains in a grocery store, especially in the meat department, are often the products that are nearing expiration. But many times people are skeptical when it comes to buying food that will soon expire, even though it is perfectly safe.

The following information will help you understand food product dating, how to read the labels and offer recommendation on how soon you should use the products that are expiring or have expired.

Understanding "Open" Dating

Food that is stamped with a calendar date on a package is called "Open" dating. This date helps a store determine how long the product can be sold. It also helps shoppers know how fresh a product is when buying or using it.

Food stamped with a "open" date is usually found on meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products.

Two of most common types of "open" dating are -- "use-by" and "sell-by". If a product has a "use-by" date, you should use the product by that date. If there is a "sell-by" date or no date, cook or freeze the product using the times on the chart below.

Closed or Coded Dating

"Closed" or "Coded" dates are often found on canned and boxed food located on the grocery store shelves. It is a set of numbers and/or letters used by the manufacturer and serve no purpose to the consumer when trying to determine the freshness of a product or the expiration date. The only time consumers might use this number is in the case of a product recall.

Are Grocery Stores Required to Date All Food Products?

Currently only 20 states require that grocery stores date some foods. With the exception of infant formula there are no federal laws governing the dating of food. However, there are regulations about how an "open" date should be displayed.

"Open" dates must display the month and day. The year must also be included on items found on the store shelves (canned and boxed products) and frozen products. Also a phrase describing the purpose of the date must be displayed, such as "sell-by" or "use before."

General Guidelines for Buying and Eating Expiring Food

• Buy food before the expiration date.
• Inspect perishable foods when they are close to expiring.
• If perishable, refrigerate or freeze immediately if you can't use it within the times recommended on chart below. Remember freezing perishable foods will keep them safe regardless of the expiration date.
• High-acid canned foods such as tomatoes, grapefruit and pineapple will retain best quality on the shelf for 12 to 18 months.
• Low-acid canned foods such as meat, poultry, fish and most vegetables will retain best quality on the shelf for two to five years when stored in a cool, clean, dry place.
• Inspect canned foods to make sure the can has not been compromised. Deeply dented cans, cans that show rust, bulging cans, and cans that pop when you press on the top or bottom should be discarded.
• Purchase eggs before the "Sell-By" or expiration date on the carton. Keep the eggs in the carton in the coldest area of the refrigerator and use them within three to five weeks from the date that you purchase them. Often the "sell-by" date will expire before that time, but they are still safe to eat. Storing eggs in the side of the refrigerator door is not recommended.

Remember, with the exception of "use-by" dates, product dates do not always include storing and using the food at your home. Even food that you store at home past the expiration dates can still be safe to eat when kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

See the refrigerator chart below 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.

Food Storage Times

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 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, Commercial Brand with USDA seal	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	Slices - 3 days; Whole - 7 days
Ham, canned, labeled "keep refrigerated"	9 months	3 to 4 days
Ham, canned, shelf stable	2 years/pantry	3 to 5 days
Canned Meat and Poultry, shelf stable	2 to 5 years/pantry	3 to 4 days
Chart provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Updated Sept. 16, 2011