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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?
"Fresh" means whole poultry and cuts have never been below 26 °F (the temperature at which poultry freezes). This is
consistent with consumer expectations of "fresh" poultry, i.e., not hard to the touch or frozen solid.
In 1997, FSIS began enforcing a final rule prohibiting the use of the term "fresh" on the labeling of raw poultry products
whose internal temperature has ever been below 26 °F.
The temperature of individual packages of raw poultry products labeled "fresh" can vary as much as 1 °F below 26 °F
within inspected establishments or 2 °F below 26 °F in commerce.
Fresh poultry should always bear a "keep refrigerated" 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:
November 17, 2011 |
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