Expiration dates can be hard to locate on a product and even more challenging to decipher. Currently, the United States does not have a regulated or standard system for coding expiration dates on food, except for those on baby food and infant formula. All other dates and codes are added voluntarily by manufacturers. Whether you’re a consumer who is interested in determining when the product that you want to buy is going to expire, or a grocer who is taking initiative to track expiration dates, learning how to read different types of expiration date codes is an important skill.
There are two types of expiration date codes on products. The first type is open dating, which uses a standard time or calendar date. These dates are typically followed by labels, such as “use-by”, “sell-by”, or “pull-by”. Use-by dates are intended for consumers and indicate when a product will start to deteriorate, while the latter two are for grocery stores to know how long to keep products displayed on the shelves. Typically, products are good for seven to ten days past their sell-by or pull-by dates. However, this is only a guideline. For instance, even the posted sell-by or best-if-used-by label found on many dry goods, such as canned food items, may not reflect the most accurate shelf life of these products. Canned goods may in fact last months beyond the expiration code if stored and handled effectively.
Closed coding is another form of listing expiration dates on products. These codes are typically a short string of numbers and sometimes letters stamped at the top or bottom of products. Unlike open dating, closed coding is used not by consumers, but by manufacturers to assist with inventory tracking.
Given that there is not one unified translation system for closed coding, learning to read these labels can often prove to be tricky.
In coding, if letters are used to signify months, “A” will indicate January all the way to December ending with “L”. Next to these letters will typically be numbers indicating the day and the year. However, sometimes the numbered year will come before the letter. On the other hand, if numbers are used to signify the month, 1-9 will represent January to September, while the last three months will be assigned the first letter of their name, respectively (O for October, N for November, and D for December).
Codes may also be comprised exclusively of numbers typically presented in the standard order of MMDDYY or YYMMDD (e.g., September 12, 2016 would be 091216 or 160912). Some codes also abide by the Julian calendar, which assigns a number to each day of the year from 1 to 365. In this case, September 12 would be 255.
Again, there is no definitive translation system for private expiration codes, as each manufacturer uses their own unique system. Still, learning these various forms of coding could eventually assist in reading these seemingly complex food expiration date codes with a bit more ease.
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It's a question millions of us try to answer every day: How long is food safe to eat after its sell-by date has passed?
On 'The Early Show on Saturday Morning,' dietitian Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of 'The F-Factor Diet,' shared some advice for this dietary dilemma and what the dates stamped on food products really mean.
Zuckerbrot explained the three most common dates are Sell-By Date, Use-By Date, and Expiration Date. But what do they mean?
Sell-By Date: Refers to the last day a retailer can display a product for sale; typically a food is safe to eat for 10 days after the Sell-by Date if refrigerated properly.
Use-By Date: Refers to the last day a product will maintain its optimum freshness, flavor, and texture. Beyond this date, the product begins to deteriorate although it is still edible.
Expiration Date: Means what it says - if you haven't used a product by this date, toss it.
Cheez It Expiration Date Codes
Zuckerbrot pointed out a surprising fact: with the exception of baby food and infant formula, dating is not required by U.S. federal law.
So how do you know what is good and what is not safe to eat?
Zuckerbrot shared how these food products are labeled and how long it's safe to eat them:
Poultry and Meat
Meat and poultry typically have a Sell-By date. You should use or freeze your chicken within one to two days of purchasing and meat within three to five days of purchasing. Freezing your poultry and meat can make these proteins last anywhere from nine to 12 months. When freezing, it is important to make sure your poultry and meat is tightly wrapped in order to prevent it from freezer burn. Freezer burn does not make food dangerous to eat, but does damage the texture and taste.
Dairy and Eggs
Dairy and eggs typically have a Sell-By Date
Proper refrigeration (40° F or below) is vital to ensure the best possible shelf life of your dairy.
According to the Dairy Council of California, the shelf life of milk is affected by several factors, including how it is handled before and after it is purchased. When stored at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and not left out of the refrigerator for extended time periods, milk should last approximately five to seven days past the 'sell by' date.'
The type of cheese contributes to its shelf life. Soft cheese (cream cheese) will last up to two weeks, whereas a medium or hard cheese (cheddar) can last three to six months.
The Egg Safety Center reports that the dates on egg cartons are not food expiration dates, but guidelines. Raw eggs can stay good for approximately three to five weeks after the date of purchase as long as they are not cracked or damaged.
Baked Goods and Snack Foods
Baked goods and snacks typically have a Use-By Date.
Store-bought bread will typically last five to seven days at room temperature, but can last one to two weeks in the refrigerator. Fresh-baked bread do not contain preservatives, so they typically won't keep as long as commercially packaged breads.
If the date on your bread or snacks has expired, it does not mean they have not gone bad. In fact, once something something goes stale it means that it has been depleted of moisture, which makes it less likely to grow mold. Try storing it in a plastic bag for extended shelf life.
Snack foods contain preservatives in order to maintain shelf life.
Different types of snacks have varying expiration dates: Potato chips will last one month after expiration date. Crackers and pretzels can last up to three months. One of the longest lasting snacks is popcorn, which has a shelf life of one to two years.
There is a myth that Twinkies can last upward of 50 years. However, this is urban legend. Twinkies can last for a lengthy 25 days without packaging, because dairy products are not a part of the recipe. After 25 days, a Twinkie does not spoil, but loses some of its taste and flavor.
Canned Goods
Canned goods typically have an Expiration Date.
Low-acid canned foods such as vegetables like peas or carrots can last anywhere from two to five years. High acid canned foods such as citrus fruits, pickles, or tomatoes can last 12 to 18 months.
Do Cheez Its Expire
Make sure to store your cans in the dark, because light can accelerate natural chemical reactions.
If your can is bulging or has a dent, throw it out, as this may be a sign of food-borne illness.
Beverages
Beverages typically have Use-By dates.
Many water bottles have a two-year Use-By date printed on them. However, as long as the bottle stays unopened it is safe to drink. Bottled water does not contain nutrients, so the pathogens that cause food-borne illness can't grow. Once a bottle of water has been opened it should not be kept for more than two weeks.
Soda has a storage time of three months, after that the color and flavor might change but the beverage will be safe for consumption.
So how can I tell if a food item has spoiled if no date is posted?
Trust your nose and eyes. If it looks or smells funny, throw it out. If you see mold, it's too old. Many people cut off the moldy piece of fruit or bread and believe it is then safe to eat. However, molds are filamentous (threadlike) and when a food shows mold growth on the surface it means that the root like threads have invaded the entire food. Mold can cause allergic reactions, respiratory problems, and the mycotoxins they produce can make you sick.
There are so many dates on food labels that it is often challenging for a consumer to read them. The sell by date is the date that the product needs to be pulled of the shelf of the store. The best if used by date is the date that the manufacturer recommends eating the product by for the desired freshness. The use by date is the last date recommended for use of the product. Past this date the product may not meet the company's ideal standards of freshness, but it may be able to be consumed. The expiration date is the last date the food product should be eaten.
If buying a product such as milk, cheese or bread, the date should be clearly marked on the package and not in a code. Follow the guidelines in the introduction the determine it's expiration date. If purchasing from the deli, make sure the product has the current date and ask a deli worker when it was made and what the expiration date is.
If buying a boxed or canned product, look on the bottom of the product for a four digit code. If the first number is a 1-9, or an O, N, or D, use the 1 for January, 2 for February and so on until September, and then an O, N, and D for October, November and December respectively. If the first letter is an A-L, determine the month using A for January, B for February and so on.
Determine the day of the month that the product expires by examining the next two numbers in the series; the two digits refer to the day of the month.
Determine the year by checking the last digit in the series. If the number is a 1, add the current century in front of it. For example, if the last digit is 3, recognize that the product expires in 2003.
About the Author
Based in Bryn Athyn, Penn., Sarah Bostock has been writing since 2006. Her articles on education have been featured in 'The Virginia English Bulletin.' Bostock holds a Master of Science in English with a concentration in British literature from Radford University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in photography from Virginia Intermont College.
Photo Credits
- eggs image by Pali A from Fotolia.com
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Store employees use 'open dating,' the calendar date on food packages, to decide when to pull an item from the shelf. For consumers, the date indicates freshness or quality. Use both the date itself and the phrase in front of the date, such as 'use by' or 'best by' to make your decision on which milk carton or cookie package to choose.
Tips
Take an extra second or two when taking foods off the shelves at the store so you can bring home the item with the longest use-by or best-by date available.
Federal law doesn't require manufacturers or stores to use opening dating, except for infant formula, but some states have their own requirements. If manufacturers choose to use dates, they must indicate the month, the day and a phrase explaining the date:
- Sell by means that the store will pull the item after that date passes. You can still use the product after the date passes once you get it home.
- Best by, Best if Used Before and Use by indicate that the quality of the product will suffer after the date passes. Breads or cookies will turn dry, granola bars may lose their crunch and a square of baking chocolate may turn whitish, but none of those conditions make the food unsafe.
Tips
Eggs are in a class by themselves when it comes to dating. A three-digit code on the carton represents the day the eggs were packed, with January 1 indicated as 001 and December 31st as 365. The sell-by date can be up to 45 days beyond the pack date, but you can still use the eggs safely after that time for an additional 3 to 5 weeks, according to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln website.
Open dating doesn't tell you whether or not your food is safe. According to a 2013 report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Americans waste 160 billion pounds of food each year, mistakenly throwing away products because they believe that open dating indicates whether or not a food is safe to eat.
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Because food within a 'use by' or 'best by' date can still be unsafe due to improper storage either at the store or at your home, learning about food safety is essential. You can do this in a number of ways:
- Refer to a Food Keeper's Guide, such as one published by the Food and Marketing Institute, to tell you how long a certain food stays safe at room temperature, in the fridge or in the freezer.
- Educate yourself about food safety, including what temperature to keep your refrigerator adjusted to, how long to cook foods for or how to properly wash foods. The U.S. Department of Agriculture publishes a wealth of information on the subject.
How do you interpret the expiration code on your Kellogg’s brand product? The key is to understand that the expiration date is presented in “MMDDY” format — the first two digits represent the month, the next two digits are the day of the month, and the final digit is the year.
Popular Kellogg’s products that we carry (both in our vending machines and sold by the case) include Cheez-Its, Famous Amos cookies, Nutrigrain cereal bars, Pop Tarts, and a variety of cereals (Apple Jacks, Cocoa Krispies, Corn Pops, Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, Frosted Mini Wheats, Raisin Bran, Rice Krispies, and Special K).
You may also be interested in our prior posts explaining how to read expiration codes from Mars candy, Mars Drinks, Nestle candy, and Sunkist soda.