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What the 'use by' date can tell you about safely storing your food

As the cost of buying groceries rise, more families seek strategies to cut waste and get the most out of the groceries they buy.

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By
Keely Arthur
, WRAL 5 On Your Side reporter

As the cost of buying groceries rise, more families seek strategies to cut waste and get the most out of the groceries they buy.

According to the USDA, 30-to-40 percent of our food supply is thrown away. A lot of that waste may be due to consumers misinterpreting common food labels as "expiration dates".

Ellen Shumaker, Ph.D., director of NC State University’s "Safe Plates Program" said, "The vast majority of those are related to the quality of the food product rather than the safety."

Shumaker says "Sell By" labels are meant more as a guide for grocery store operators. "As a consumer, you should pay attention to those dates, but really more for maximizing the quality that you’re going to have at home,"

"Use By" or "Best if Used By" dates on packages refer to when food is at its highest quality. Beyond that date, meat is still typically safe to eat, except for "deli meats". When they are unsealed, those meats should be consumed within 7 days. That’s also true for cooked foods like ground beef and casseroles.

Shumaker says your refrigerator and freezer can help preserve fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products if they are properly stored in resealable bags or containers. That is, if they are also stored at the proper temperature.

"Making sure that your refrigerator is below 41-degrees and that your freezer is at or below zero-degrees because that’s going to really help you maximize the length or shelf life of the foods," said Shumaker.

At zero-degree temperature, frozen chicken or turkey can be good for more than a year. Frozen ground meat may only last about 4 months. Frozen fish may remain safe for consumption for up to 9 months. Milk is typically fine for up to a week after the "Use By" date on the carton.

As for eggs, Shumaker says, "That date on the egg carton is a good indicator of when they are going to be at their best quality. If you are using them past that, it’s probably OK.".

Shumaker suggests making meal plans based on those foods in your pantry or fridge that have been stored the longest to je;[ up avoid food waste and save money.

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