It's time to get some Spring Cleaning done and that includes your pantry!
On Tuesday, April 23rd during Good Morning Quad Cities, Dietitian Caitlyn Ferin from Fareway Food Stores gave us some great tips on what we should be getting rid of and some of the surprising items we can actually keep!
The USDA estimates that about 30% of our food supply is lost/wasted. Confusion about the meaning of dates on the label may be one reason, so how do you know?
Date Labeling
Most products contain some kind of date to inform consumers about best quality. With the exception of infant formula, if the date passes during home storage, a product should still be safe if it was handled properly.
Examples of commonly used phrases:
- A "Best if Used By/Before" indicates when a product will be of best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
- A "Sell-By" date tells the store how long to display the product for sale for inventory management. It is not a safety date.
- A "Use-By" date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. It is not a safety date except for when used on infant formula as described below.
General Pantry Items:
- Pasta- 12-18 months
- Canned goods- 1 year (take inventory)
- Flour- open 6 months, closed- 1 year
- Spices- 6 months (keep them away from heat)
- Condiments- 1 year
