Food costs consume much of the family budget. So, it makes sense to consider the safety of food when you buy it and bring it home. You don't want to throw food out before you even use it.
Do your shopping in a store that looks clean, has quick turnover of perishable foods, and has a commitment to safe handling and display of produce, deli foods, meat and poultry. You will want a store that responds well to your concerns about safe food handling. And if you have concerns about a food product once you get it home, the store should not make it difficult to return the suspect item for a full refund.
When food shopping, follow these rules:
- Do all your other errands before food shopping. Don’t leave food in a warm car.
- Make sure that the cold food you buy is cold to the touch and that frozen food is rock-solid.
- Canned foods should be free of dents, cracks, or bulging lids that can indicate spoilage.
- Don't buy any kind of food that has packaging that is ripped or broken.
- Do not buy eggs that are broken or cracked.
- Put raw meat, poultry and seafood into plastic bags before they go into the shopping cart. This prevents juices that contain bacteria from dripping on or contaminating other foods in the cart.
- Select your meat, poultry and seafood items last so that they will remain cold or frozen. If the weather is very hot, ask that ice be packaged with your seafood, in the same bag or in a second bag surrounding it. Or bring along an ice chest and put ALL perishable items in it for the trip home.
- Purchase food products labeled "keep refrigerated" only if they are being stored in a refrigerated case.
- Precooked, ready-to-eat foods can cause serious food poisoning if not handled properly. Buy packaged, precooked foods only if the package is completely undamaged, with no tears, holes or open corners. Never purchase unpackaged, precooked foods from a case that also displays raw meat or seafood. When purchasing precooked food from the deli, observe the cleanliness of the deli, its equipment and how food is handled.
- Purchase dated packages only if the label sell-by, pull-by, use-by or expiration* date has not passed.
- Go directly home and refrigerate any foods that spoil easily (eggs, meat, fish, dairy foods, prepared foods, foods from the deli, etc.).
Package Dating:
Except for infant formula and some baby food (see below), product dating is not required by Federal regulations. Many states do require dating as part of their dairy regulations, but, there is no uniform or universally accepted system used for food dating. While not required by federal law, some processors add this information to help with ensuring the safety and quality of food on the grocery store shelves.
Some food companies will use OPEN DATING which uses actual dates. Others use a CLOSED OR CODED DATING system that is used for tracking food through the food system and makes it easier to recall a food in case a foodborne illness or other problem is associated with the food. There is no one way that a manufacturer must code a product, each manufacturer can use a system unique to them. Some use numbers that correspond to dates, others may refer to the location of the plant or batch number. If you have specific questions about a company's product, most manufacturers offer a toll-free number to call for questions about canned food expiration dates
Keep in mind that dates will be meaningless if food is not handled safely by the distributor, store, or the consumer. So it still makes sense to take an extra look at perishables when you open them.
Examples of open dating
- A "Sell-By" date tells the store when to take a product off the shelf. You should buy the product before the date expires. These dates are often found on meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products. You may still use these products after the date on the package. If handled properly before and after purchase:
- Ground meat, sausage, fish, poultry, variety meats such as liver-use within 2 days of date
- Meat roasts or chops-use within 5 days of date
- Eggs-use within 4-6 weeks of date
- Milk, yogurt, cottage cheese-use within 5-7 days of date
- Cold cuts – use within 3-5 days of date of purchase
- A "Best if Used By (or Before)" date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
- A "Use-By" or “Expiration” 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. These dates are often found on cereal, crackers or potato chips.
While the Expiration Dates on baby formula and baby food also tell the store when to take
the food off the shelves, the outdated products should not be served to your baby. Though
still safe, the nutrient value and quality could be reduced to the point that it would be unable
to meet the nutritional needs of your baby.