Food expiration dates:

There are some things to understand about this.

First, there are several terms stamped on the food. This is what they mean:

SELL BY: How long a store should display the product for sale. This is a guide for the store. It is optimum quality date, but food is still edible for a while after.

BEST IF USED BY OR BEFORE DATE: This is only about quality, not safety.

GUARANTEED FRESH DATE: This usually refers to bakery items. They will still be edible for a while after that date.

USE BY DATE: This is the last recommended day to use the product at peak quality. It is still edible after this.

PACK DATE: This is on canned and packaged goods. This actually might not be clear as sometimes it’s in code. It can be done by month-day-year as MMDDYY. Or it could be Julian calendar for the year by day, which means January is numbered 001-0031. December would be 334-365.

Foods not to eat past their expiration date?

Eggs. Deli meat. Mixed greens. Alfalfa sprouts. Oysters. Shrimp. Raw ground beef. Berries. Soft cheese. Chicken.

Eggs: Three to five weeks after you buy them.  Double-grade A will go down a grade in a week, but are still edible.

So how long is food usually good for?

Milk: a week after Sell By.

Eggs: Three to five weeks after you buy them.  Double-grade A will go down a grade in a week, but are still edible. To check if eggs are fresh, put in a bowl of water. If it rises to the surface it is rotten.

Poultry and seafood: Cook or freeze within a day.

Beef and pork: Cook or freeze within three to four days.

Canned good: High acid foods such as tomato sauce can last to 18 months. Low acid such as canned green beans can last for five years. However, do not store these in a hot space. A dry, cool place, is best.

Excerpted from Life’s Little Black Book: Volume 1