Never underestimate the value of reader comments. Reader feedback, positive and negative, teaches me to be a better blogger. Thank you.
That said, I decided to do a second post of food safety and storage. So, as the broadcaster Paul Harvey used to say, here is "the rest of the story".
There are more decisions to be made when grocery shopping than just what's for supper. We're searching for healthy products, good food within our budget, and food that is safe to eat. Certainly one wants to pass up any product that is damaged, tampered with, opened, or unsealed. The expiration dates (see definitions in previous post)
are a key to freshness, peak quality and texture.
What we need to know:
the product before the date expires.
* If the food is perishable, take it home and refrigerate (40-degrees F or below) immediately. Freeze the food if unable to eat within the storage times given below.
* If you freeze the product and it remains frozen continuously
then the expiration date is not of concern.
For fresh or uncooked products, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that if a product has a "use by" date then to follow that date. If there is a "sell-by" date then they recommend to either cook or freeze the product according to this chart:
Follow the same advice on "use-by" or "sell-by" dates for processed products sealed at the plant.
Once purchased and stored appropriately, the keys to avoiding foodborne illnesses are determined once we get our food home from the market. I will provide suggestions on food handling and safety in the kitchen in my next post.