Unopened packaged foods: is what’s inside fresh? Read the label! Many have dates you can read:
- “Best if used by” date: not a safety date, but when the food is at top quality
- Pack date: when the food was manufactured, processed, or packaged
- “Sell by” date: last date a food should be sold so it’s fresh for home storage
- Julian date (on eggs): a number between 001 (January 1) and 365 (December 31) that shows when eggs are packed. Refrigerated eggs keep their quality for four to five weeks after that.
Some packaged and canned foods carry a letter or number code you can’t interpret. Contact the food company to learn the manufacturing date and what the code means.
During these lazy summer days, clean your kitchen—and keep your stock of packaged foods fresh.
- Rotate: first in, first out. Put the newest items toward the back of the fridge, freezer, or cabinet.
- Toss food that’s been around too long. Spoiled food may not have a bad aroma. Never taste to check.
- Wonder about unopened canned foods? They keep their best quality for about two years. After that, they’re still safe to use if the seal is intact and the can isn’t bulging.
- Clean your refrigerator. It runs more efficiently; it’s easier to organize, and it’s safer.
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