FOOD PRODUCTS and EXPIRATION DATES

These days a lot of people have pantries where they buy and store large amounts of food. A great idea to save time and money. You only have to shop once and you get discounts for buying in bulk.

But….how long are these foods actually good for?

A lot of foods …at least foods that go in your pantry, have an “expiration date” on them. Or a “sell by” date. Or a “best if used by” date.

What does this all mean?

Well… unfortunately the answer isn’t as simple is you might expect.

Foods like ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, herbs and many others have “best if used by” dates on them. Meats have “sell by” dates on them.

These dates do not mean that the products are no longer good after that date. It means that, in the case of things like ketchup and mayonnaise (unopened), the products are at their ”best” if “used by” a specific date. After that the textures, consistency or taste might be affected.

For meats the “sell by” date means that the stores want it out of the store and in your home “by” that date. But, you can still have it in your refrigerator after that date.

It’s a bit confusing and scary.

A great website that has a lot of information on “expiration dates” and can answer a lot of questions about those “dates on the cans” is:

http://www.stilltasty.com/

It has tips for storage and how long food lasts. It answers questions such as:

“When should you wash fruit, before you store it in the refrigerator or right before you eat it?”. The answer: “right before you eat it”.

Or… “Is it O.K. to put hot foods directly into the fridge?”. The answer: “yes”.

The website has info on :

* Fruits
* Vegetables
* Dairy & Eggs
* Meat & Poultry
* Fishes & Shellfish
* Nuts & Legumes
* Grains & Pasta
* Condiments & Oils
* Herbs & Spices
* Snacks & Sweets
* Bakes Goods
* Beverages

It’s a great website ! Check it out…and be “more organized”.



Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com/