Every day the average American throws out nearly a pound of food, according to a recent study from the Department of Agriculture. There are plenty of reasons why good, usable food gets tossedâpicky kids, overstocked pantries, or even leftovers that sit in refrigerators too long. Confusion over expiration dates leads Americans to throw out food when it might still be goodBut another major factor is the misconception about what all of those dates on food package labelsââsell by,â âuse by,â and âbest if used byââreally mean. Ninety percent of Americans misinterpret the dates on labels, according to a recent study from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and throw out food that could still be consumed or frozen for later use. That raises the question: If expiration dates arenât a reliable gauge of food spoilage, how does a consumer know what to keep and what to toss? What Date Labels Actually MeanWith the exception of baby formula, there are no federal regulations on date labeling. Often the âbest if used by,â âsell by,â and âuse byâ designations are just manufacturersâ best guesses about how long their food will taste its freshest. Supermarkets may also use the dates as a guide when stocking shelves. But the dates have little to do with how safe the food is.
According to a recent report from the NRDC and Harvard University, manufacturers typically use methods such as lab tests and taste-testing to set these label dates. But consumers have no way of knowing the background. In many cases, dates are conservative, so if you eat the food past that date, you may not notice any difference in quality, especially if the date has recently passed. As a general rule of thumb, most canned foods (for example, canned tuna, soups, and vegetables) can be stored for two to five years, and high-acid foods (canned juices, tomatoes, pickles) can be stored for a year up to 18 months, according to the USDA. Watch out for dents and bulges in cans, though. That might be a sign itâs time to toss those products. If youâre still not sure whether a product or item is worth saving past its date label, a free app the USDA created, FoodKeeper, will help you determine how soon specific itemsâeverything from oats to coconut milk to maple syrupâshould be consumed if itâs stored in the pantry or how long it will last in your refrigerator once itâs opened. Staying SafeWhile nonperishable items like grains and dried and canned goods can still be used well past their label dates, meat, dairy, and eggs are a different story. Although there are still no federally regulated expiration dates on those items, they obviously have shorter shelf lives. According to Sana Mujahid, Ph.D., manager of food-safety research at Consumer Reports, the best way to know whether a perishable food has spoiled is simply to âtrust your taste buds and sense of smell.â Foods past their prime often develop mold, bacteria, and yeast, causing them to give warning signs to your senses. Spoiled food will usually look different in texture and color, smell unpleasant, and taste bad before it becomes unsafe to eat. Foodborne illness comes from contamination, not from the natural process of decay. That said, bacteria like listeria thrive in warmer temperatures, so itâs important to always keep your perishables refrigerated at the proper temperature. (The Food and Drug Administration says your fridge should be set no higher than 40° F.) Also, a good rule of thumb is to throw out a perishable item after 2 hours at room temperature or half that time in high heat. Also keep all food preparation surfaces clean and avoid cross-contamination of raw meat and other grocery items. âThe most important thing that consumers should do is follow good food handling and storage practices, which can prevent unnecessary spoilage and ensure food safety,â says Mujahid. How to Avoid Waste
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More From Consumer ReportsHave you ever rummaged through the fridge, looking for a snack, and realized half of the foods on the shelf were past their expiration date? Those âbest if used byâ dates seem pretty concrete. That means many people toss foods that are still in the kitchen past their expiration date. But you might be throwing out food thatâs perfectly safe to eat. After all, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says some foods might be safe up to 18 months past their expiration date. Plus, expiration, sell by, and use by dates are more about food quality than food safety. One of the most useful kitchen hacks is to know which foods are still safe to consume past their expiration date. Itâs one of the best ways to reduce food waste and to save money on your grocery bills. Curious which foods are actually safe to eat in spite of their expiration labels? Weâve rounded up some of the most interesting examples of foods you donât need to throw in the trash as soon as the expiration date passes. 1. MeatIt might sound surprising, but meat can be safely consumed after its expiration date. The trick? According to the Los Angeles Times, you can freeze fresh meat to extend the shelf life by up to 50%. If you buy a large package of chicken on sale, for instance, you can take out what you need for the next few days and then freeze the rest. (Just make sure you donât freeze it all as a single block, or else youâll have trouble separating individual pieces to thaw.) 2. Canned foodsCustomer takes canned food from the shelf in the store. | iStock.com/DragonImages NPR reports you shouldnât fear expired food â especially if that expired food comes in a can. Unless the can is compromised, canned food can retain its safety and nutrients for decades. (The taste, on the other hand, might not last quite as long.) But if you discover a can thatâs a year or two old, you can probably eat the food inside. The Food Network explains the expiration date of canned foods indicates three years âfrom when itâs been shelved.â But you can safely consume canned foods up to four more years past the date. 3. Hard cheesesCustomer chooses cheese in the store. | iStock.com/sergeyryzhov The Food Network reports you can eat hard cheeses after their expiration date has passed. In fact, you can eat cheeses, such as cheddar and Parmesan, even after mold has started to form. âJust make sure to cut off any moldy parts before consuming,â the publication advises. The rest of the block should be safe to consume. How long does a hard cheese remain safe to eat after its expiration date? About a month. 4. Fresh fruits and veggiesIf your produce has an expiration date on it, you might assume itâs important to use or discard it by that date. But as the Los Angeles Times reports, thatâs rarely the whole story. The publication advises you should âuse common sense with fruits and vegetables. Check if itâs mushy, moldy or has an âoffâ smell.â If you donât encounter any of those red flags, itâs likely safe to use â even if the expiration date has passed. 5. EggsBoiled eggs in bowl | iStock.com/Amarita Using eggs past their expiration date sounds a little scary. After all, nobody wants to crack a rotten egg into a skillet. But The Food Network notes eggs usually remain safe to eat their expiration. And you donât have to crack them open to determine whether theyâre safe to eat. Just place them in a bowl of water to check their buoyancy. âIf it sinks, itâs still safe to eat; if it floats, throw it in the compost bin.â According to WebMD, eggs typically keep for three to five weeks after the purchase date. 6. ButterAnother surprising food you can use past its expiration date? Butter. The Food Network advises putting butter thatâs about to expire in the freezer. It will stay fresh longer once itâs frozen. When youâre ready to use it, just thaw it thoroughly. You can freeze butter by the stick or the half-stick. The Food Network advises âitâs best to use it all once youâve thawed it.â 7. MilkMilk | iStock.com Eggs arenât the only refrigerator staples that actually stay safe to eat long after you thought. Milk can also keep longer than expected â particularly if you store it in the right location inside your refrigerator. According to the Los Angeles Times, âpasteurized milk will keep 50% longer if you store it at a lower temperature. Try storing at the back of the fridge rather than the fridge door.â 8. YogurtOat granola with fresh blueberries, almond, and yogurt | iStock.com/Foxys_forest_manufacture The BBC reports yogurt, surprisingly enough, makes the list of foods that remain safe to eat long after their expiration date. An open tub of yogurt, of course, will last a much shorter time than a package thatâs still sealed. If you havenât opened your yogurt yet, it can last weeks beyond the stamped expiration date. Some experts will even scoop mold off the top of yogurt and eat the rest. You might not want to go quite that far. But if a few weeks have passed since the expiration date, your yogurt is probably fine. 9. Ultra-pasteurized dairy productsBusiness Insider reports ultra-pasteurized dairy products, such as milk or half-and-half, can still taste good and remain safe to eat for a long time after the expiration date. While standard pasteurized milk âtypically lasts five to seven days after the date on the carton,â ultra-pasteurized products âcan last much longer than that.â If the product still smells fresh, thatâs a good sign that itâs still safe to consume. 10. Ketchup and mustardKetchup | iStock.com Business Insider also reports some products, such as ketchup and mustard, are shelf stable. That means exactly what it sounds like. These condiments will stay safe to consume for a very long time, so long as you arenât storing them in unsafe conditions. The publication explains that the âuse byâ and âbest beforeâ dates on such condiments donât say anything about safety. Instead, âthey are quality dates US manufacturers voluntarily provide for shelf-stable items such as ketchup and mustard to indicate when consumers may begin to notice otherwise harmless changes in flavor, color or texture.â Food Expiration Dates Shelf Life11. CerealMan shops in a supermarket. | iStock.com/monkeybusinessimages Did you buy too many boxes of cereal the last time they were on sale at the grocery store? Or have your kids decided to stop eating what was once their favorite cereal? You donât have to throw out unused boxes just because the expiration date has come and gone. The Food Network explains that âcereal is OK to eat for up to six months past the best before date â so long as you can handle the stale flavor.â 12. Cookies and chipsChocolate chip cookies with milk | iStock.com/Wutlufaipy Packaged cookies and chips, plus similar snacks, such as crackers, will often last beyond their expiration dates. As The Food Network notes, the stale taste makes it obvious your cookies or chips have gotten old. But so long as you can tolerate the stale taste, itâs not really a problem. The Food Network explains, âas long as it doesnât smell bad (the oils in the cookie may go off over a long period of time), and it doesnât crumble apart in your hand, then itâs OK to eat more of those snacks.â 13. Salad mixBought a bag of greens for salads, and then forgot to actually make said salads? Donât chuck the salad mix in the trash can just because the expiration date has passed. The Food Network explains that âthose packages of salad mixes, spinach, and arugula are OK to eat past the due date.â If some of the leaves have wilted, you should just cut those pieces off. If you see lots of mushy and slimy leaves, on the other hand, you should throw away the salad mix. 14. BreadSliced bread | iStock.com Fresh bread doesnât sound like an item that would have a particularly long shelf life. But you might be surprised. The Food Network explains the best-by date on a loaf of fresh bread assumes youâre storing the loaf of bread on your counter. If you are, itâs safe to eat as long as you donât see mold growing on it. But if you want to extend the shelf life, The Food Network advises storing it in the fridge, where it will last for up to two weeks, or in the freezer. 15. Dry pastaDry pasta definitely makes the list of foods you can safely eat far past their expiration date. Because pasta is a dry food, it can last a long time past its expiration date if you store it in a cool, dry place. The Food Network explains âgenerally, dry pasta has a shelf life of two years, but you can typically push it to three.â Just make sure thereâs no rancid odor. 16. Frozen foodsFrozen peas | iStock.com Things, such as frozen vegetables and frozen meat, can last for impressively long periods of time in the freezer. As The Food Network explains, ice-cold temperatures keep foods from going bad. The worst you have to worry about with packaged frozen foods? Freezer burn. The Food Network explains, âIf the food gets freezer burn due to dehydration caused by oxidation it wonât be very tasty. However, if youâre feeling frugal, freezer burn food is still safe to eat.â 17. ChocolatePerhaps youâve thrown away expired chocolate in the past because the surface turned white. Thatâs mold, right? Wrong. The BBC reports that chocolate develops this white coating, known as âbloom,â when itâs exposed to the air. The white layer appears because some of the fat melts and rises to the top. But the white coating isnât mold. That means your chocolate is safe to eat even if the expiration date has passed. Bonus: Sturdy staplesHoney | iStock.com Business Insider reports a category of foods referred to as âsturdy staplesâ can last âalmost indefinitely under the right conditions.â Some of the foods that make that list? Honey, rice, hard liquor, maple syrup, distilled white vinegar, cornstarch, salt, sugar, and non-artificial pure vanilla extract.
(Redirected from List of Food expiration)
This pack of diced pork says 'display until' 7 May and 'use by' 8 May
Shelf life is the length of time that a commodity may be stored without becoming unfit for use, consumption, or sale.[1] In other words, it might refer to whether a commodity should no longer be on a pantry shelf (unfit for use), or just no longer on a supermarket shelf (unfit for sale, but not yet unfit for use). It applies to cosmetics, foods and beverages, medical devices, medicines, explosives, pharmaceutical drugs, chemicals, tires, batteries and many other perishable items. In some regions, an advisory best before, mandatory use by or freshness date is required on packaged perishable foods. The concept of expiration date is related but legally distinct in some jurisdictions.[2]
Background[edit]Shelf life is the recommended maximum time for which products or fresh (harvested) produce can be stored, during which the defined quality of a specified proportion of the goods remains acceptable under expected (or specified) conditions of distribution, storage and display.[3]Free games to play offline. According to the USDA, 'canned foods are safe indefinitely as long as they are not exposed to freezing temperatures, or temperatures above 90 °F (32.2° C)'. If the cans look okay, they are safe to use. Discard cans that are dented, rusted, or swollen. High-acid canned foods (tomatoes, fruits) will keep their best quality for 12 to 18 months; low-acid canned foods (meats, vegetables) for 2 to 5 years.[4] 'Sell by date' is a less ambiguous term for what is often referred to as an 'expiration date'. Most food is still edible after the expiration date.[5] A product that has passed its shelf life might still be safe, but quality is no longer guaranteed. In most food stores, waste is minimized by using stock rotation, which involves moving products with the earliest sell by date from the warehouse to the sales area, and then to the front of the shelf, so that most shoppers will pick them up first and thus they are likely to be sold before the end of their shelf life. Some stores can be fined for selling out of date products; most if not all would have to mark such products down as wasted, resulting in a financial loss. Shelf life depends on the degradation mechanism of the specific product. Most can be influenced by several factors: exposure to light, heat, moisture, transmission of gases, mechanical stresses, and contamination by things such as micro-organisms. Product quality is often mathematically modelled around a parameter (concentration of a chemical compound, a microbiological index, or moisture content).[6] For some foods, health issues are important in determining shelf life. Bacterial contaminants are ubiquitous, and foods left unused too long will often be contaminated by substantial amounts of bacterial colonies and become dangerous to eat, leading to food poisoning. However, shelf life alone is not an accurate indicator of how long the food can safely be stored. For example, pasteurized milk can remain fresh for five days after its sell-by date if it is refrigerated properly. However, improper storage of milk may result in bacterial contamination or spoilage before the expiration date.[7] The expiration date of pharmaceuticals specifies the date the manufacturer guarantees the full potency and safety of a drug. Most medications continue to be effective and safe for a time after the expiration date. A rare exception is a case of renal tubular acidosis purportedly caused by expired tetracycline.[8] A study conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration covered over 100 drugs, prescription and over-the-counter. The study showed that about 90% of them were safe and effective as long as 15 years past their expiration dates. Joel Davis, a former FDA expiration-date compliance chief, said that with a handful of exceptions - notably nitroglycerin, insulin and some liquid antibiotics - most expired drugs are probably effective.[9] Shelf life is not significantly studied during drug development[dubious], and drug manufacturers have economic and liability incentives to specify shorter shelf lives so that consumers are encouraged to discard and repurchase products. One major exception is the Shelf Life Extension Program (SLEP) of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), which commissioned a major study of drug efficacy from the FDA starting in the mid-1980s. One criticism is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused to issue guidelines based on SLEP research for normal marketing of pharmaceuticals even though the FDA performed the study. The SLEP and FDA signed a memorandum that scientific data could not be shared with the public, public health departments, other government agencies, and drug manufacturers.[10] State and local programs are not permitted to participate.[11] The failure to share data has caused foreign governments to refuse donations of expired medications.[12] One exception occurred during the 2010 Swine Flu Epidemic when the FDA authorized expired Tamiflu based on SLEP Data.[13] The SLEP discovered that drugs such as Cipro remained effective nine years after their shelf life, and, as a cost-saving measure, the US military routinely uses a wide range of SLEP tested products past their official shelf life if drugs have been stored properly.[14]
Package testing: heat sealing film for evaluation of shelf life of lettuce
Preservatives and antioxidants may be incorporated into some food and drug products to extend their shelf life. Some companies use induction sealing and vacuum/oxygen-barrier pouches to assist in the extension of the shelf life of their products where oxygen causes the loss. The DoD Shelf-Life Program defines shelf-life as The total period of time beginning with the date of manufacture, date of cure (for elastomeric and rubber products only), date of assembly, or date of pack (subsistence only), and terminated by the date by which an item must be used (expiration date) or subjected to inspection, test, restoration, or disposal action; or after inspection/laboratory test/restorative action that an item may remain in the combined wholesale (including manufacture's) and retail storage systems and still be suitable for issue or use by the end user. Shelf-life is not to be confused with service-life (defined as, A general term used to quantify the average or standard life expectancy of an item or equipment while in use. When a shelf-life item is unpacked and introduced to mission requirements, installed into intended application, or merely left in storage, placed in pre-expended bins, or held as bench stock, shelf-life management stops and service life begins.)[15] Shelf life is often specified in conjunction with a specific product, package, and distribution system. For example, an MREfield ration is designed to have a shelf life of three years at 80 °F (27 °C) and six months at 100 °F (38 °C).[16] Temperature control[edit]Nearly all chemical reactions can occur at normal temperatures (although different reactions proceed at different rates). However most reactions are accelerated by high temperatures, and the degradation of foods and pharmaceuticals is no exception. The same applies to the breakdown of many chemical explosives into more unstable compounds. Nitroglycerine is notorious. Old explosives are thus more dangerous (i.e. liable to be triggered to explode by very small disturbances, even trivial jiggling) than more recently manufactured explosives. Rubber products also degrade as sulphurbonds induced during vulcanization revert; this is why old rubber bands and other rubber products soften and get crispy, and lose their elasticity as they age. The usually quoted rule of thumb is that chemical reactions double their rate for each temperature increase of 10 °C (18 °F) because activation energy barriers are more easily surmounted at higher temperatures. However, as with many rules of thumb, there are many caveats and exceptions. The rule works best for reactions with activation energy values around 50 kJ/mole; many of these are important at the usual temperatures we encounter. It is often applied in shelf life estimation, sometimes wrongly. There is a widespread impression, for instance in industry, that 'triple time' can be simulated in practice by increasing the temperature by 15 °C (27 °F), e.g., storing a product for one month at 35 °C (95 °F) simulates three months at 20 °C (68 °F). This is mathematically incorrect (if the rule was precisely accurate the required temperature increase would be about 15.8 °C (28.4 °F)), and in any case the rule is only a rough approximation and cannot always be relied on. The same is true, up to a point, of the chemical reactions of living things. They are usually catalyzed by enzymes which change reaction rates, but with no variation in catalytic action, the rule of thumb is still mostly applicable. In the case of bacteria and fungi, the reactions needed to feed and reproduce speed up at higher temperatures, up to the point that the proteins and other compounds in their cells themselves begin to break down, or denature, so quickly that they cannot be replaced. This is why high temperatures kill bacteria and other micro-organisms: 'tissue' breakdown reactions reach such rates that they cannot be compensated for and the cell dies. On the other hand, 'elevated' temperatures short of these result in increased growth and reproduction; if the organism is harmful, perhaps to dangerous levels. Just as temperature increases speed up reactions, temperature decreases reduce them. Therefore, to make explosives stable for longer periods, or to keep rubber bands springy, or to force bacteria to slow down their growth, they can be cooled. That is why shelf life is generally extended by temperature control: (refrigeration, insulated shipping containers, controlled cold chain, etc.) and why some medicines and foods must be refrigerated. Since such storing of such goods is temporal in nature and shelf life is dependent on the temperature controlled environment, they are also referred to as cargo even when in special storage to emphasize the inherent time-temperature sensitivity matrix. Temperature data loggers and time temperature indicators can record the temperature history of a shipment to help estimate their remaining shelf life.[17] According to the USDA, 'foods kept frozen continuously are safe indefinitely.'[4] Packaging[edit]Passive barrier packaging can often help control or extend shelf life by blocking the transmission of deleterious substances, like moisture or oxygen, across the barrier.[18]Active packaging, on the other hand, employs the use of substances that scavenge, capture, or otherwise render harmless deleterious substances.[18] When moisture content is a mechanism for product degradation, packaging with a low moisture vapor transmission rate and the use of desiccants help keep the moisture in the package within acceptable limits. When oxidation is the primary concern, packaging with a low oxygen transmission rate and the use of oxygen absorbers can help extend the shelf life. Produce and other products with respiration often require packaging with controlled barrier properties. The use of a modified atmosphere in the package can extend the shelf life for some products. Issues associated with sell by / use by dates[edit]According to the UK Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), 33% percent of all food produced is wasted along the cold chain or by the consumer.[19][citation needed] At the same time, a large number of people get sick every year due to spoiled food. According to the WHO and CDC, every year in the USA there are 76 million foodborne illnesses, leading to 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths.[20] According to former UK minister Hilary Benn, the use by date and sell by dates are old technologies that are outdated and should be replaced by other solutions or disposed of altogether.[21] The UK government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs revised guidance in 2011 to exclude the use of sell by dates. The guidance was prepared in consultation with the food industry, consumer groups, regulators, and Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP). It aims to reduce the annual £12bn of wasted supermarket food.[22] Enforcement[edit]Regulations in Canada[edit]
A best before date used on the bottom of a box in Canada
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency produces a Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising which sets out a 'Durable Life Date'.[23][24] The authority for producing the guide comes from the Food and Drugs Act. The guide sets out what items must be labelled and the format of the date.[25] The month and day must be included and the year if it is felt necessary and must be in the format year/month/day. However, there is no requirement that the year be in four digits.[23] Regulations in Hong Kong[edit]In Hong Kong, prepackaged food which from the microbiological point of view is highly perishable and is therefore likely after a short period to constitute an immediate danger to human health, are required to use the 'Use by' label instead of the 'Best before' label. Examples include pasteurised fresh milk, packed egg and ham sandwiches, etc. Dates are usually presented in the DD MM YY (or YYYY) format.[26] Regulations in the European Union[edit]Food Expiration Date CodesIn the EU food quality dates are governed by Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, 'On the Provision of Food Information to Consumers'.[27] Use common sense. Blog spam, link spam, referral spam, joke posts and responses, memes, novelty accounts, trolling, unethical behavior, and personal insults will not be tolerated. Violations will be dealt with harshly. Pc wireless gaming receiver driver windows 10 1. Employees of companies with social media presences for marketing or damage control are not allowed. Regulations in the UK[edit]According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs dates must be in the day/month or day/month/year format.[28] Technical expertise should be hired for regular end of shelf life safety and quality testing. Shelf life trials should be conducted using the same ingredients, equipment, procedures and manufacturing environment as will be used during the actual production.[29] Regulation in the US[edit]Sale of expired food products, per se, is lightly regulated in the US. Some states restrict or forbid the sale of expired products, require expiration dates on all perishable products, or both, while other states do not.[30] However, sale of contaminated food is generally illegal, and may result in product liability litigation if consumption of the food results in injury.[31][32] After losing an expensive lawsuit, one pharmacy chain â CVS â implemented a system that causes its registers to recognize expired products and avert their sale.[33] Glasswire elite crack download. Voluntary industry guidelines announced in 2017 from the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute recommend using only 'best if used by' or 'use by', to avoid confusion.[34] US federal government guidelines[edit]The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates packaged foods and drugs, only requires a use-by, or expiration, date on infant formula and some baby foods, because formula must contain a certain quantity of each nutrient as described on the label.[35] If formula is stored too long, it may lose its nutritional value.[36] The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which regulates fresh poultry and meats, only requires labeling of the date when poultry is packed.[37] However, many manufacturers also voluntarily add sell-by or use-by dates.[38] The DoD Shelf-Life Program operates under the DoD Regulation 4140.1-R, DoD Material Management Regulation, ([39]) A. There are items in the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Federal Supply System that require special handling due to certain deteriorative characteristics. These items are to be properly maintained to ensure that the customer is provided fresh, useable material. The purpose of this Manual is to establish a shelf-life program and process, with special emphasis on those items having these known deterioration characteristics, to mitigate the risk of shelf-life expiration and lapses of shelf-life items/material beyond their inspect/test dates. Beer[edit]Freshness date[edit]A freshness date is the date used in the American brewing industry to indicate either the date the beer was bottled or the date before which the beer should be consumed. Beer is perishable. It can be affected by light, air, or the action of bacteria. Although beer is not legally mandated in the United States to have a shelf life, freshness dates serve much the same purpose and are used as a marketing tool. Beginnings of freshness dating[edit]General Brewing Company of San Francisco marketed their Lucky Lager Beer as 'Age Dated' as early as late 1935.[40] They stamped a date on each can lid to indicate that the beer was brewed before that date. This was not to ensure that the beer was 'fresh' but to ensure that it had been aged properly. So many breweries had rushed beer to market before it was ready when Prohibition ended, that customers were wary of getting 'green' beer.The Boston Beer Company, maker of Samuel Adams, was among the first contemporary brewers to start adding freshness dates to their product line in 1985. For ten years there was a slow growth in brewers adding freshness dates to their beer. The practice rapidly grew in popularity after the Anheuser-Busch company's heavily marketed 'Born-On dates' starting in 1996. Many other brewers have started adding freshness dates to their products, but there is no standard for what the date means. For some companies, the date on the bottle or can will be the date that the beer was bottled; others have the date by which the beer should be consumed. Related concepts[edit]The concept of shelf life applies to other products besides food and drugs. Gasoline has a shelf life, although it is not normally necessary to display a sell-by date. Exceeding this time-frame will introduce harmful varnishes[clarification needed], etc. into equipment designed to operate with these products, i.e. a gasoline lawn mower that has not been properly winterized[clarification needed] could incur damage that will prevent use in the spring, and require expensive servicing to the carburetor. Some glues and adhesives also have a limited storage life, and will stop working in a reliable and usable manner if their safe shelf life is exceeded. Rather different is the use of a time limit for the use of items like vouchers, gift certificates and pre-paid phone cards, so that after the displayed date the voucher etc. will no longer be valid. Bell Mobility and its parent company, BCE Inc. have been served with notice of a $100-million class-action lawsuit alleging that expiry dates on its pre-paid wireless services are illegal.[41] See also[edit]Food Expiration Codes ListReferences[edit]
Further reading[edit]
External links[edit]
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