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Are you one of those people who pour the milk down the drain on the expiration date?
Expiration dates on food products can protect consumer health, but those dates are really more about quality than safety, and if not properly understood, they can also encourage consumers to discard food that is perfectly safe to eat.
A recent poll of more than 2,000 adults showed that most of us discard food we believe is unsafe to eat, which is a good thing, of course, but it is important that we understand what food expiration dates mean before we dump our food -- and our money -- down the drain or into the garbage. On average, in the U.S. we waste about 14% of the food we buy each year. The average American family of four throws out around $600 worth of groceries every year.
Which five foods are most often feared as being unsafe after the printed date? According toShelfLifeAdvice.com, we are most wary of milk, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, yogurt, and eggs, and the site offers these helpful explanations:
Milk: If properly refrigerated, milk will remain safe, nutritious, and tasty for about a week after the sell-by date and will probably be safe to drink longer than that, though there’s a decline in nutritional value and taste.
Cottage cheese: Pasteurized cottage cheese lasts for 10-14 days after the date on the carton.
Mayonnaise: Unopened, refrigerated Kraft mayonnaise can be kept for 30 days after its expiration date or 3-4 months after opening, the company told ShelfLifeAdvice.
Yogurt: Yogurt will remain good 7-10 days after its sell-by date.
Eggs: Properly refrigerated eggs should last at least 3-5 weeks after the sell-by date, according to Professor Joe Regenstein, a food scientist at Cornell University. Note: Use of either a sell-by or expiration (EXP) date is not federally required, but may be state required, as defined by the egg laws in the state where the eggs are marketed.
The “Use-By” Date
The “use-by” or “best if used-by” date indicates the last day that the item is at its best quality as far as taste, texture, appearance, odor, and nutritional value. The decline after that is gradual. The use-by date refers to product that has not yet been opened.
The “Sell By” Date
The “sell by” date is not really a matter of food safety, but a notice to stores that the product should be taken off the shelf because it will begin to decline in quality after that date.
The Law
From the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): “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.”
Food-Borne Illness
Cross-contamination and unsanitary conditions are a primary cause of food-related illnesses, whether it occurs in the home or in a restaurant, and this is independent of any expiration date. The leading culprits are:
Improper hand-washing prior to food preparation.
Storing food at the wrong temperature.
Cooking food to an inadequate temperature.
Cross-contamination (raw meats that come into contact with salads, for instance).
Improper washing of fresh produce.
The Yuck Factor: Common Sense Approach to Food Safety
Aside from any expiration date or lack thereof, if a food item is moldy or if it smells and looks spoiled, err on the side of caution. If it makes you say, “yuck,” throw it away.
Not everybody is ardent on the regular pastas and breads. There are some specialty food junkies who swear by foods like exotic cheese, olives, kettle chips, truffle oil and the like. While these gourmet foods taste delectable, they can cost you a bomb. But, the heavy price tag should not keep you off from these foods. All you have to do is act a bit of sensible.
The 1st and foremost thing to do in this context is to buy only seasonal gourmet food. All gourmet foods are not obtainable all round the year. For example, sunchokes are available in winter and fall season. So, purchasing this specialty food in summers will only make you pay a hefty price for the same.
An additional efficient money saving tip is to buy specialty foods after holiday season gets over. Such foodstuff can charge a bomb during such times, with packaged food being the most costly of all. Food items like candid chestnuts could cost as only $35 in comparison to its whopping price of $60 in the festive time of the New Year. Attempt to eat this food moderately, lest you could drop victim to blackheads too. Buy such foods just after the festive season gets over. Ensure that you make timely purchase or the stocks may get finished.
Try to think in terms of savings when you purchase gourmet foods. You don't need to buy the food items from a mall and spend tons of cash when you can get the same thing readily in stores. The concept here is to shop perfect in right place. It's just like saving considerably whenever you purchase Zenmed Derma Cleanse System online rather than from a usual store.
Go for away season clearance promoting as conducted by the food stores that stock in seasonal gourmet stuff. You can get to buy your favourite specialty foods in the sale time at a pocket friendly price. It is advised to sign up for the mailing list of such stores to get timely info about various offers and schemes.
While you search for techniques to maximize your savings on purchasing specialty foods, Be certain that you look into factors like expiry date as well. It is not exceptional to see stores to announce heavy discounts on gourmet foods when they're on the verge of expiry. You should purchase such food items only if you're certain that you could consume them ahead of the exact expiry date. For instance, buying big cans of proper chocolate could be a wise thing to do if you have events such as wedding approaching in few days.
So, you need not enable the heavy price tag prevent you from purchasing these gourmet food items any more. With these affordable ideas handy, you could readily enjoy the specialty foods.
Bone-in Chicken Breasts, Thighs, and Drumsticks
Cooking time: Indirect heat, covered, turning occasionally, 40 to 50 minutes
Internal temperature*: 160° to 165° F
* Remove food from the grill when it reaches the desired internal temperature, as measured with an instant-read thermometer. Where temperatures appear as a range, the higher temperature represents the internal temperature recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for maximum food safety. The lower temperature represents the internal temperature preferred by the Real Simple test kitchen and approved as safe by many food experts.
I spend a lot of my time in the kitchen with either a laptop or iPhone handy to look up recipes, so whenCulinate released Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything iPhone App earlier this year I had a moment. You know, one of those moments that bring together all of those things that you love. Yeah, it was intense.
At first I thought the price was a little high for an iPhone app (I generally stick to the free or below $2 price tags), but when I realized you get the entire volume of How to Cook Everything crammed into a tiny app for $4.99 I was sold.
And so began my obsession with cooking apps (you should see my cookbook shelf). Since then, I've invested in a few more cooking and recipe guides on my iPhone. They all have their own personality so pick one that suits your cooking style. Personally I prefer How to Cook Everything (it's just so comprehensive) and Martha Stewart's Everyday Food.
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Do you need food delivery in your city, home delivered meals, gourmet meals, food gifts, prepared meals delivered, home delivery meal service, or home meal delivery? Send A Meal can help you. We have over 100 dinner options for you to shop from. Most of our meals are on sale for a limited time.
Even though these meals get eaten right away, we want to make sure that your family or friends are impressed with how good the meal looks and desire to eat what food delivery they receive. The only thing better than gourmet dinners in a restaurant, are the same food delivered to your home. Yes, you can send food, have your meal delivery, meals to go - and love every bite too.
