 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| Food Safety: Labeling, Dating, Food Additives |
By law, must foods have a "use
by" or "sell by" date?
Except for infant formula and some baby food, product dating is
not generally required by Federal regulations. However, if a calendar date
is used, it must express both the month and day of the month (and
the year, in the case of shelf-stable and frozen products). If a calendar
date is shown, immediately adjacent to the date must be a phrase explaining
the meaning of that date such as "sell by" or "use
before."
There is no uniform or universally accepted system used for food dating
in the United States. Although dating of some foods is required by
more than 20 states, there are areas of the country where much of
the food supply has some type of open date and other areas where almost
no food is dated.
(Source:
Food Product Dating)
What does "fresh" on the label
of a poultry product really mean?
For consumers, "fresh" means whole poultry and cuts have never been
below 26 °F. Below 26 °F, raw poultry products become firm
to the touch because much of the free water is changing to ice. At
26 °F, the product surface is still pliable and yields to the
thumb when pressed. Most consumers consider a product to be fresh,
as opposed to frozen, when it is pliable or when it is not hard to
the touch. Fresh poultry should always bear a "keep refrigerated" statement.
(Source: The
Poultry Label Says "Fresh")
What are the labeling requirements
for frozen, raw poultry?
Raw poultry held at a temperature of 0 °F or below must be labeled
with a "keep frozen" handling statement.
(Source: The
Poultry Label Says "Fresh")
What is the difference in quality
between fresh and frozen poultry?
Both fresh and frozen poultry are inspected by USDA's Food Safety
and Inspection Service. The quality is the same. It is personal preference
that determines whether you purchase fresh or frozen poultry.
(Source: The
Poultry Label Says "Fresh")
What is sodium erythorbate? Does
it come from earthworms?
Sodium Erythorbate is the sodium salt of erythorbic acid, a highly
refined food-grade chemical closely related to vitamin C, synthesized
from sugar, and used as a color fixative in preparing cured meats.
(Note: Erythorbate is NOT earthworms. Perhaps the spelling or pronunciation
has contributed to this misconception because the Hotline receives
many calls related to this concern.)
(Source: Additives
in Meat and Poultry Products) |
Last Modified:
October 25, 2006 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
FSIS Advertisement Rotator
|
|
|
|
|
