Latest update January 18th, 2025 7:00 AM
Expiry date-marking must be permanently embossed on foodstuff – GNBS
Confusing dates on packaged food labels have always caught our attention as consumers and in some cases when there is no expiry date our senses (sight and smell) and common sense are used to decide if it is appropriate to consumer. However, when in doubt, throw it away.
According to the Guyana National Bureau of Standards, the expiry date-marking must be permanently marked or embossed on the package or label of the package. This is the date after which the product, when kept in accordance with any storage conditions indicated on the label, may not retain its normal nature and quality.
Expiry date-marking must be permanently marked or embossed on the items.
Checks must also be made for the “Packed or Packaged Date” which notifies the customer of the date placed on fresh meats and produce to indicate the date of packaging. This does not guarantee safety or freshness. This also applies to the other products such as processed foods, condiments, detergents etc.
If there are situations where expired products are found this should be immediately highlighted to the vendors, shopkeepers and supermarket attendants where goods are found to be expired. These goods should be immediately removed from the selling area.
The GNBS underscored that the “Best before” date relates to products such as food items which are susceptible to spoilage but should not be consumed if the “best before” date is passed. Even if the food shows no sign of spoilage, it can harbour pathogenic microorganisms that can cause food-borne illness. Foods that are not susceptible to spoilage can usually be consumed past their “best before” date; these foods may have lost some of their original flavour and nutritional value. Use your senses to judge.’
However, the bureau noted that the ‘best before’ dates have produced a strange misconception which is surprisingly widespread, in which food is believed to “expire” at some exact point.
Meanwhile, the GNBS emphasised that the “Sell by or Pull date” is placed on products to suggest to the retailer the need of removing the items from the sales floor after the listed date. Another benefit of these dates is to advise store staff to move the item to the front of the shelf months before the date and weeks before the date to sell at a discounted price.
A sell by date does not indicate the food automatically “goes bad” on that date. Milk, for example would retain its flavour and freshness for approximately one week after the date, and chicken for one or two days.
In addition, there are the Packing codes: These codes, which appear as a series of letters and/or numbers on the package, sometimes indicate the date or time of manufacture. Often, though, they simply appear as a meaningless jumble. Either way, packing codes help manufacturers and grocers rotate their stock and quickly locate products in the event of a recall. But they are not meant to be interpreted as an indicator of either food safety or quality.
Another point to note is the “Use by, Best if used by, or a Quality Assurance date,” these dates the GNBS noted do not imply that the food is unsafe to eat after the listed date. The date merely refers to flavour and quality. To receive the maximum amount of nutrients and peak flavour of this product, it should be consumed prior to the date shown. A good example would be cereal. A box of cereal sitting in the cupboard for a lengthy period of time will not taste as fresh as a newly packaged one, nor will it be as nutritious.
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