Expiration dates on food

One of the biggest myths that the team at Foodshare runs into is the idea that the dates on food packaging mean that the food should be discarded on that date.  Not true!  Much food has a long period of time that it will be good to eat after the date.  In fact, around a third of the food donated to Foodshare by food companies each year is near or past its code date.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) do not mandate that foods are date labeled. The only exception is infant formula. Infant food and formula is required to carry an expiration date to ensure nutrient value has not deteriorated.

Any dates placed on food are because of state law or the discretion of the manufacturer.  States can regulate date labels in any way they desire and there are extreme variations among the fifty states.  Connecticut law requires date labeling on dairy products only.

The FDA allows (but does not require) manufacturers to stamp their product with a date in order to help the seller determine how long to keep the product on display and to help the consumer use the product when it is of best quality. The date is in no way intended to be a food safety date. The only regulation is that if a manufacturer chooses to use a date on their product, then the FDA allows either coded letters and numbers (“closed dating”) to be used on shelf-stable products or if a calendar date is chosen (“open dating”) then the FDA requires that it contain the month, day and year along with a phrase explaining the meaning of that date.

Foodshare has developed a guideto food dating and storage for the local food pantries which may also be of use to anyone who buys and prepares food.  Feel free to use it and share it!

Other good resources include:

• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
• Web MD
• Food Safety News
• Natural Resources Defense Council
• Still Tasty:  The Shelf Life Guide