I have a friend who would like to read some written information the
standard safety margins for the 'Best Before' dates on various foods?
I wish to print it off the answer for someone who is unfamiliar with
computers and surfing the web. Thank you

Hello Uzz,

Here are the three ways that products are dated:

- “Sell-by” date tells the store how long to display the product for
sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.

- “Best if used by (or before)” is recommended for best flavor or
quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.

- “Use By” is the last date recommended for use of the product while
at peak quality. The manufacturer of the product has determined the
date.

“Dates are printed on many food items, but product dating is not
required by federal regulations except on infant formula and baby
foods. Dating of some foods, usually dairy products, is required by
more than 20 states. An expired date doesn’t necessarily mean that the
food needs to be discarded. Still, it’s helpful to understand the
differences among package dates. Coded dates (packing numbers) may
appear on shelf-stable products such as cans and boxes of food. This
enables manufacturers to rotate their stock, as well as locate their
products in the event of a recall. Calendar dates help stores
determine how long to display the product for sale and relate to the
peak quality of food, not safety. Calendar dates are found primarily
on perishable foods, such as dairy products, eggs, meat and poultry.”

Source: Food Marketing Institute
http://fmi.org/consumer/foodkeeper/foodkeeper.pdf


An excellent resource to print would be the 2002 Food Keeper Guide.
This 8 page guide provides appropriate storage times for fresh, frozen
and pre-packaged foods in your freezer, refrigerator and pantry. It
also includes tips on maintaining the freshness and quality of food.
The Food Keeper was developed in cooperation with Cornell University.
Click here to download the full pamphlet.
http://fmi.org/consumer/foodkeeper/foodkeeper.pdf

The Food Safety and Inspection Service define the dates as follows:

"Sell-By" date tells the store how long to display the product for
sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.
 
"Best if Used By (or before)" date is recommended for best flavor or
quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
 
"Use-By" date is the last date recommended for the use of the product
while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the
manufacturer of the product.
 
"Closed or coded dates" are packing numbers for use by the
manufacturer.

Source: Food Safety and Inspection Service
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/dating.htm


Search Criteria:
"use-by" dates

I hope you find this helpful.

Best Regards,
Bobbie7-ga

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Clarification of Answer by bobbie7-ga on 27 Dec 2002 13:35 PST

Thanks for the rating and the generous tip!

Thank you for the quick reply and very good information.