If you’ve ever read the date codes on food products, like “Use By” or “Sell By,” you may have wondered what they really mean. Is it safe to eat a product that’s past its Sell-By date? And what about the other codes you may see printed on various food packaging? In this blog, we’ll explain what each of these terms means, so that you can make more informed decisions in the grocery store. We will also help you understand what to look for when assessing whether a certain food item is safe to eat.
Types of Date Codes
There are two main types of food date codes: “open dating” and “closed dating.” Keep reading to learn more about these date code types.
Open Dating
Open dating uses calendar dates to help track a food’s quality and freshness. It is most commonly seen on products like dairy, meats, and prepared foods. Below are common open dating terms and their meanings.
- “Sell-By”: This date informs retailers how long they should display a product for sale. It primarily serves as a guideline for stock rotation.
- “Best If Used By/Before”: This is the manufacturer’s recommendation for when the food will be at its best in terms of flavor or quality.
- “Use-By”: This is the last date a product is guaranteed to be at its peak quality, according to the manufacturer. After this date, the product may still be safe to consume, but might not be at its best in terms of taste, texture, or consistency.
As you can see, none of these dates are an indication that the food is spoiled, meaning that in certain situations, it may be safe to eat a product that has passed its sell-by or use-by date. However, the product might not have optimal freshness, quality, or taste.
Closed Dating
Closed date codes are packing codes used by manufacturers for internal purposes. The codes aren’t meant for consumers to interpret, and most manufacturers use their own unique systems.
Closed date codes allows manufacturers to monitor their products throughout the distribution process. Essentially, each batch is given its own unique ID card so that it can be easily identified later on. Typically, manufacturers have a dedicated system that stores data about each product. If they receive a complaint about a specific product, they can quickly check the product details for specific batches or lots. They can check information like product parameters, production history, and consumption of raw materials to help determine which items were affected, and how. If manufacturers need to recall a product, they can quickly pinpoint which batch is affected, and take appropriate action.
How do I recognize spoiled food?
It is extremely important to know how to identify spoiled food and the risks that come with eating it. Each year, roughly 1 out of 6 Americans gets sick from eating unsafe food, due to food pathogens.
Food spoilage can occur due to many factors, including harmful bacteria growth; physical damage to the food during processing and distribution; and unsafe storage temperatures. When assessing whether food has become unsafe, it’s important to use your senses: sight, smell, and touch.
Spoiled food may be:
- Slimy or soggy looking. This happens mostly on meats and salad items. If your meats or salad have a glossy sheen and appear slimy or soggy, it’s safest to throw it out.
- Discolored. This is very common with fruits and vegetables, such as apples or avocados. Most fruits and vegetables will turn a brown color when they are in the process of spoiling, and shouldn’t be eaten.
- Smelly. It an item has an unpleasant or rancid smell, it’s safe to say that the food is spoiled and should be discarded. Remember the old motto: “the nose knows.”
- Mushy, chunky, or wrinkly. When food goes bad, the texture tends to change drastically. Avoid eating foods whose texture has changed from what it was naturally.
As a final note, beware of the common misconception that mold on top of food can be simply “scraped off.” Mold filaments grow down into food, meaning that scraping it off the surface of a product does not eliminate mold or toxins that may have been produced. Remember that a hospital bill to treat mycotoxin poisoning will cost you far more than a $2 jar of pasta sauce!
What’s the best type of coding technology for printing date codes?
They are many technologies capable of printing date codes onto packaging. Your choice of technology will depend largely on your budget and application requirements.
Thermal Inkjet (TIJ) Printing: Non-contact printing technology that uses interchangeable ink cartridges. These printers offer high-resolution prints; are very compact; and require very little maintenance. They can be easily integrated into most manufacturing equipment.
- Continuous inkjet printing: Another non-contact printing technology, continuous inkjet printers have very good adhesion to most packaging materials. This makes them ideal for high-speed production and printing on curved surfaces, like cans.
- Laser printing: Laser coding machines work by vaporizing or etching the surface layer of a material, leaving an inerasable mark. They provide a high degree of design flexibility, and can be easily reprogrammed to mark codes of different sizes and shapes.
- Stencil machines: This is an “old school” technique that is still very effective, and more affordable than the other options. First, the machine cuts a pattern of letters or digits into a reusable oil board template. Then, ink is applied to the template. Stencil machines are best for marking on cartons, wooden boxes, pallets, pipes, and walls.
Get the marking and coding machines you need from SSI Packaging!
If you are a small business owner interesting in marking and coding your products, call SSI Packaging. Our high-quality products help you track items through the entire production process, from the manufacturer to the end customer. If you have any questions about which date coding machine is best for you, please don’t hesitate to give us a call today.