You know those dates printed on food packaging.
They're not as important as you might think.
And I'll tell you why.
But, first you should know that the US government doesn't require any dates to be printed on any food packaging except for infant formula.
So, what do these dates really mean?
The cell by Dave stores usually use this to determine how long your product should be on the shelf before it's thrown out.
But usually food is good to eat up to 10 days after that date.
You'll often see it on packaged foods from the supermarket like in the deli or bakery section.
The best-by date tells you when to eat a food to get the best possible quality.
After that date, the taste and texture will slowly decline.
It's mostly used for shelf stable items like oil, cereal, and condiments.
The use-by date is the last date that the food's manufacturer is going to assure that it's at peak quality, freshness, And flavor.
After that date, the quality is gonna decline very quickly.
It's usually used for highly perishable items like this half and half.
With eggs it's most important to pay attention to the packing date.
Check out this number right here, it tells you the day of the year that these days eggs were packed from 1 to 365.
On this carton the number is 63, which means they were packed on March 4th, or the 63rd day of this year.
Your eggs will stay fresh for about 4 to 5 weeks after that packing date.
What about foods that don't have dates printed on them, like fruits and vegetables?
You can get help from your Echo by using the Save The Food skill.
For instance, with this broccoli.
Alexa, ask Save the Food if my broccoli is still good.
Okay, is the broccoli wilted?
If you're not sure, say need more help.
Then, it's still good.
Regardless of the date on your packaging, you should always inspect your food to make sure it's not moldy or rotten or stale.
What do you think?
Smells fine, looks fine.