What Should be the Format of the Production Date on a Label?

Hi Fellows:

I have a question regarding manufactoring or production date in some food products whether Frozen or dry.

Some Food manufactoring companies printed the date as MM/YYYY and Expiration date same also.

For example Pro;Feb/2008 Exp Aug/2008 . Do I consider the food expired at the beginning of Aug month or at the end?



Monzer

Thanks&Best regards

hi,

Frozen and dry : best before date - doesn't mean use by; therefore don't worry for dry and frozen products if you eat them at the beginning or the end of the concerned month, we only face with a possible degradation of the taste,

best regards,

Emmanuel

hi,

Frozen and dry : best before date - doesn't mean use by; therefore don't worry for dry and frozen products if you eat them at the beginning or the end of the concerned month, we only face with a possible degradation of the taste,

best regards,

Emmanuel

No my friend I dont agree with you in that point.We should know exactly the date of expiration,consequently we should avoid eating This food even it has good taste Or no change appear on texture.

Thanks

It's generally recognised that the format is BBE, in which case it would be the end of the month. But inn this case, it looks like it might be the start.

Ultimately, it's only a BB date, go for it!

hi Hygienic,

sorry perhaps I haven't been clear enough :

2 criterias for an expiry date :

- the food safety : we, as a company, certify that the product is ok for the consumption until MM/DD/YYYY

- and : this date also certify that the gustative elements and the taste of the products (for example development of rancid odour) is ok until the above date

For fresh products we can have 'use by' (for delicatessen) and 'BBE' (for cheese for example). In this case usually the first criteria is the most important.

For cans, dry, frozen products : shelf lifes are quite long (12-24 months usually). The microbiological criterias don't change a lot for this period - of course if the process+Haccp study has been respected. Most of the time (and I don't know if we have some other info for some products) we have a BBE.
So the most important criteria is the second one (no evolution in the taste). To me the expiry date noted on the product is mainly an indication about the best use of the product.

Last, for few years you also have a BBE on cosmetic products - quite recent. I don't think that for this kind of products before having this information people were ill because of a skin cream beyond the BBE...because there wasn't. But the actual info allows us to know if the product is 'quite old' or 'too old' - 3 months beyond or 5 years beyond is not the same thing,

I refer to the french legislation and french terms; perhaps not the same info and perception in other countries; in this case please do not hesitate to give further info!

Regards,

Emmanuel

Dear friends,
The date of minimum durability of a foodstuff shall be the date until which the foodstuff retains its specific properties when properly stored.

The date shall be preceded by the words:

-"Best before ..." when the date includes an indication of the day,

"Best before end ..." in other cases.

The date shall consist of the day, month and year in uncoded chronological form.

However, in the case of foodstuffs:

- which will not keep for more than three months, an indication of the day and the month will suffice,

- which will keep for more than three months but not more than 18 months, an indication of the month and year will suffice,

- which will keep for more than 18 months, an indication of the year will suffice.
Best regard Ed