Other foods, such as unbaked breads, are marked with an “expiration” or “use by date,” which means the product should not be consumed after that date. Do not purchase any food not used by that date. The freshness date is located on the food package and serves as an indicator of product quality.
Some foods, such as canned foods, have a product code stamped on the bottom or top of each container providing information such as “use by date” or “best quality date,” the name of the plant where the food was manufactured, and the lot number. The code number may not be consistent from one manufacturer to another. For instance, food manufacturers may indicate the “use by date” as month and year (APR02) stamped on top of the can. APR02 means the food should be consumed by April of 2002. The first letter and number (corresponding to month and year) of the stamped code also may indicate “use by dates.” F2 would indicate that the product is of highest quality if consumed by June of 2002. Consumers may contact the food manufacturer directly to determine “use by dates.” Many food manufacturers provide a 1-800 number for consumer questions. Generally, canned goods have a one-year expiration date from the date of manufacture before quality starts to diminish.
Humidity levels greater than 60% may cause dry foods to draw moisture, resulting in caked and staled products. Canned goods stored in high humidity areas may ultimately rust, resulting in leaky cans. Discard canned goods that are swollen, badly dented, rusted, and/or leaking.
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