了解保质期:我怎么知道我的食物什么时候坏了?
There is no uniform or universally accepted system used for food dating in the United States. 这取决于你买的是什么食物, the date on the package could be a recommendation on when it should be sold by or when it should be eaten by. Since confusion surrounding a date could mean throwing out perfectly good food, here are some tips about food package dates and storage for some common foods on your shopping list.
过期食物的种类
Open dating (use of a calendar date) is found primarily on the package of perishable foods such as meat, 家禽, 蛋类及乳制品. "Closed" or "coded" dating might appear on shelf-stable products such as cans and boxes of food.
日期的类型
- A "Sell-By" date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. 你应该在保质期前购买产品.
- A "Best if Used By (or Before)" date is recommended for best flavor or quality. 这不是一个购买日期或安全日期.
- A "Use-By" date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. 该日期已由产品制造商确定.
- "Closed or coded dates" are packing numbers for use by the manufacturer.
过期后的安全
Except for "use-by" dates, product dates don't always refer to home storage and use after purchase. “保质期”通常指的是最佳质量,而不是安全日期. 但即使日期在家庭储存期间过期, 产品应该是安全的, wholesome and of good quality if handled properly and kept at 40 °F or below. See the accompanying refrigerator charts for storage times of dated products. 如果产品有“使用期限”,请遵循该日期. 产品是否有“销售截止”日期或没有日期, 根据下面的图表,将产品烹饪或冷冻.
Foods can develop an off odor, flavor or appearance due to spoilage bacteria. 如果一种食物已经发展出这样的特性,就不要吃它.
处理不当的食物
如果食物处理不当, 然而, food-borne bacteria can grow and cause food-borne illness — before or after the date on the package. 例如, if food that requires refrigeration is taken to a picnic and left out several hours, 以后再用可能就不安全了, 即使日期还没有过期.
Other examples of potential mishandling are products that have been: defrosted at room temperature; cross contaminated; or handled by people who don't practice sanitation. Make sure to follow the handling and preparation instructions on the label to ensure top quality and safety.
搬运和储存技巧
- 在保质期前购买食品.
- If perishable, take the food home immediately after purchase and refrigerate it promptly. 如果不能在图表上建议的线上电子游戏飞禽走兽内使用,请将其冷冻.
- 一旦易腐产品被冷冻, it doesn't matter if the date expires because foods kept frozen continuously at 0° F or below are safe.
- 遵循产品的处理建议.
肉类/家禽/鱼
Fresh meat, 家禽 and fish are highly perishable so they have “sell by” dates. This is an expiration date for how long a grocery store can display that food. 在包装上标明的保质期前购买食品. 如果有“使用日期”或“冻结日期”,请按照该日期执行. 食品是否有“销售日期”或没有日期, 烹煮或冷冻产品见下表.
Always store your meat, 家禽 and fish in the refrigerator at 40° F or below. The chart below shows the approximate number of days or months to store food in the refrigerator or freezer after purchase of the food. 更长的存储线上电子游戏飞禽走兽, keep in the freezer at 0° F or below and then cook within a day or two after defrosting.
适当的冷冻可以无限期地保证食品的安全,但食品的质量会受到影响.g., taste and texture) of foods may decline if stored longer than the times recommended in the table below. 尽管这需要更多的线上电子游戏飞禽走兽, 一定要解冻肉类, 家禽 and fish in your refrigerator instead of on your kitchen counter. If any of these foods develops freezer burn or an odd color or smell, do not use it.
鲜肉的种类 | 冰箱(40 0F以下) | 冰箱(0 0F以下) |
鱼 | 1至2天 | 3至8个月 |
汉堡,碎牛肉,火鸡肉,小牛肉,猪肉,羊肉,它们的混合物 & 用任何这些成分制成的产品 | 1至2天 | 3至4个月 |
牛排 | 3至5天 | 4至12个月 |
排 | 3至5天 | 4至12个月 |
烤肉 | 3至5天 | 4至12个月 |
整只的鸡肉或火鸡肉 | 1至2天 | 1年 |
鸡肉或火鸡肉,切片 | 1至2天 | 9个月 |
牛奶
牛奶 cartons also have “sell by” dates so if you store them in the refrigerator as soon as you get home from the grocery store and don’t leave them out on the counter during meals; they are still drinkable past that date (see the chart below).
Some milk is treated by an ultrahigh temperature (UHT) process, so they stay fresher longer. These shelf stable milks can be kept in your pantry for up to 90 days until they are opened After opening, spoilage time for UHT milk is similar to that of conventionally pasteurized milk and it should be refrigerated just like pasteurized milk.
牛奶的种类 | (在冰箱里)能放多久? (40°F或以下) |
巴氏杀菌 | 7 - 14天 |
UHT或货架稳定牛奶 | 7 - 14天(一经开启) |
鸡蛋
根据国家规定, 你在商店买的鸡蛋会有一个“出售日期”, “最佳使用日期”或“有效期”(EXP)日期. 一定要在鸡蛋包装上的“sell by”或“EXP”日期之前购买鸡蛋. 蛋到家后, refrigerate the eggs in their original carton and place them in the coldest part of the refrigerator, 不在门口. For best quality, use eggs within 3至5周 of the date you purchase them. “销售”日期通常会在这段线上电子游戏飞禽走兽内到期, 但这些卵完全可以安全使用.
产品 | 冰箱 (40°F或以下) |
冰箱 (0°F或以下) |
带壳生鸡蛋 | 3至5周 | 不要冻结 |
鸡蛋完全煮熟后 | 1周 | 不容易冻结 |
液体鸡蛋替代品(未开封) | 10天 | 1年 |
鸡蛋替代品,液体(已打开) | 3天 | 不容易冻结 |
面包
“Best by” or “use by” dates are stamped on the plastic bag or tie tag of sliced bread. Freshly baked bread from the bakery gets stale faster as it doesn’t usually contain preservatives. It’s easy to tell when bread goes bad – if you see green or white mold spots forming, 把整条面包扔掉, 不仅仅是有霉的部分.
Did you know the best place to store bread for maximum freshness is in your freezer? 你可以把面包放在冰箱里2-3周, but the refrigerator may cause bread to lose moisture quickly and become stale.
面包的种类 | 持续多久 |
商店买的,切片面包装在塑料袋里 | 2 - 4天(柜台) |
面包店的面包 | 1 - 3天(柜台) |
所有的面包 | 2 -3个月(冷藏) |
The information and suggestions in this article and charts are intended as guidelines. 收获技术, 生产流程, 运输配送条件, 食物的性质, 储存温度和条件可能会影响储存寿命.
有关食物安全的深入资料,请浏览 www.FoodSafety.政府(链接在新窗口中打开)该网站是联邦食品安全信息的门户.