Our Mealsite Food Expiration Standards

Hello everyone. Lately we've been getting some questions regarding expiration dates of foods. Especially food items received from vendors. Often a vendor will provide our program with food items that are past the date on the can or container, and when they tell you that it is not an expiration date they are not always wrong.

We cannot receive and serve any foods that are expired - this we all know. However, we need to be aware of the fact that manufacturers will place dates on their containers or packages that are in fact not expiration dates, and not necessarily even "use-by" dates. These codes are known as "closed or coded dates" (see below). They are usually the date the food item is canned or packaged, and not actually a use-by or expiration date.

If a food item is past an expiration or use-by date we cannot use it in our program. If your vendor tells you that milk is actually good for 5-7 days past the use-by date, they're right. The USDA says so. Your vendors are welcome to follow this practice in their homes, but we serve a " highly susceptible population", and can not serve anything past the expiration, use-by, sell-by or best-by date.

But don't get this confused with a packaging or canning date the manufacturer may have placed on the food package. Most times this date or series of data is for the manufacturer's use, not necessarily for the consumer to use as a guide for freshness or safety. Say you get a #10 can of diced peaches from your vendor with a date stamped on it and no other information -- this is not an expiration date. This would most likely be a canning or processing date. Recommendations are that canned fruits and vegetables be consumed within a year of the manufacture date. If there is no date, an understanding should be reached with your vendor that they date all foods that they receive from their distributors and any canned foods be discarded after one year from the date they receive it. And different food items have different life spans -- not all dry goods are good for a year. See the following link for more information on date marking foods:

http://origin-www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Food_Product_Dating/index.asp

For those of you who are working with vendors, it is important that you get these expectations in your contract. It should be made very clear that under no circumstances shall a food item be sent by your vendor that is past the expiration or use-by date. Put in your contracts something like this: " Our program serves a highly susceptible population and we will not accept any food items that are past the Use-by, sell-by, best by or expiration date."

Below are a couple explanations from the USDA:

Types of Dates

A "Sell-By" date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.
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" 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.

Manufacturer’s use-by dates

Most, but not all, sell-by or use-by dates are voluntarily placed on food packages. Manufacturers assign a date to products for various reasons, and spoilage may or may not occur before pathogen growth renders the product unsafe.

Although most use-by and sell-by dates are not enforceable by regulators, the manufacturer's use-by date is its recommendation for using the product while its quality is at its best. Although it is a guide for quality, it could be based on food safety reasons. It is recommended that food establishments consider the manufacturer’s information as good guidance to follow to maintain the quality (taste, smell, and appearance) and salability of the product. If the product becomes inferior quality-wise due to time in storage, it is possible that safety concerns are not far behind.

Any questions please don't hesitate to ask. On behalf of the Nutrition Team,

Mike Glasgow, RD, CD

Nutrition Specialist/OAA Consultant

Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources

125 N. Executive Drive Suite 207

Brookfield, WI 53005

Phone: (262) 432-7977

Cell Phone: 608-228-8097

michael.glasgow@gwaar.org