ATLANTA — Before you toss that item in your cart at the supermarket, it’s a good idea to check the expiration date.
Alisha Ross said she couldn’t wait to try a new brand of juice from her local supermarket.
“I brought it home and unloaded everything. Went to get some juice a couple of days later and just happened to look at the date,” she said.
It had already expired a few weeks earlier.
She was so upset that she vented on social media.
“So many moms started commenting. So many. One after another. I was like, ‘Okay this is more than just juice here,’” she said.
Jesse Garcia is with the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.
He said no matter what wording is used on the packaging, whether it’s best by, freeze by, sell by, or use by, that doesn’t refer to food safety.
That’s about peak quality.
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“Because they want to make sure you enjoy the product, so they give you the timeframe when it’s at peak quality,” Garcia said.
He said the government doesn’t regulate the dates manufacturers put on food, with one exception - some baby foods including formula.
Federal law requires them to have a “use by” date so customers know when not to give it to their child.
Ross said that ought to be the way for every food product.
“I’ve been checking dates like crazy now,” she said.
Health officials say no matter what the date says, if the food looks or smells odd... don’t eat it.
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