Best-by, sell-by, use by dates: What they mean, how they’re different for food – Detroit Free Press

Sometimes it's easier to toss food after the expiration date, rather than risk food poisoning. But that often results in throwing out edible food. USA TODAY

The stay-at-home order because ofcoronavirus pandemic has forced people to stock up their pantries. That also means more people are cooking at home.

Cleaning out and rearrangingmy home pantry was one of the first things I did, knowing I would count on those item.

I rearranged to make sure I used those items that had been in there a while first. Next I got to work on tossing things out.

One of the thingsI paid attention to was the dates on packages. I tossed out a lot.It also got me thinking about questions on expiration dates, something I have written about in the past.

I went through our archives and found thiscolumn explaining what'Best-by' 'Sell-by and 'Use-by dates mean. If you're not sure about a fresh, frozen or packaged product, follow the golden rule: "When in doubt, throw it out."

And if you've stocked up on pasta try the recipes forPasta with Pine Nuts, Spinach and Sun-dried Tomatoes. The dish is easy to put together and is ready in about 30 minutes. If you don't have sun-dried tomatoes, you can substitute another sauteed vegetable. Also, the pine nuts can be optional.

ANSWER: What's lurking in your pantry or in your refrigerator can be worrisome. How long products last, especially once they are opened, is a question we all face.

But before you begin to think your pantry or refrigerator is breeding bacteria, consider that because a product has reached it's expired date doesn't mean it's no longer good. Tossing out an item,when it could still be good is a waste (more on this later). The obvious test with a lot of products is the smell and look test. If it smells bad and has mold growing, toss it. Never taste food to determine if it's still good, says the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

Product dates, according to the FSIS, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), are not a guide for safe use except for infant formula and baby food. The dates, rather, are a quality issue. Dates on packaging, which are not regulated by the federal government except for infant formula and baby foods, tell a consumer how long they can store the food and consume it when it is still at its best.

Keep in mind terms such as "sell-by" and "use-by" have different meanings.

Sell-by: Tells the store how long it can display the food for sale. It's best, of course, to buy the food before it reaches the sell-by date. Refrigerate once you buy it, or freeze it for longer storage.

Use-by:Date is the recommended date for using the product for the best quality. It's important to note, that the FSIS, says that with infant formula that date is a food safety issue. The agency says not to buy or use baby formula after its use-by date.

Best if used by/before:Another indicator of how long the product will be of best quality.

You can find storage information on certain foods at fsis.usda.gov. (Search product dating, storage or food safety.)

In the last few years, many articles have been written about how much food waste is going on. Food is wasted for various reasons, with one being people don't know how to determine whether it's still good or not.

The global experts at Whole Foods Market pegged mindful meal prep as one of their top food trends for 2017. And part of being mindful is reducing food waste. Americans waste some 40% of all edible food, according to the National Resources Defense Council, a New York City-based environmental watchdog agency.

At nrdc.org you can check out the section savethefood.com for listings of common foods and their storage options and how long they last. Take mayonnaise, as an example. On the site, NRDC recommends refrigerating, of course, after opening. It also says that mayonnaise is at its freshest unopened for 2 years. But once opened, the refrigerator life is 2 to 3 months.

More: Tight budget? Here are the best foods to stockpile in a coronavirus quarantine

More: Coronavirus preparations: Foods with the longest shelf life

And don't forget about veggies. While some might look wilted or have softened, that's OK. Use them in quick sauts, stir-fries or soups see recipe below. You can also save those vegetable scraps, sticking them in a freezer bag. When you gather up enough, make vegetable stock.

You will also finduseful information at stilltasty.com. I also found the USDA's the Food Keeper phone app useful.

Have a question? Contact Susan Selasky at 313-222-6872 or sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.

Serves: 6 / Preparation time: 15 minutes /Total time: 30 minutes

Pasta with Pine Nuts, Spinach and Sun Dried Tomatoes.(Photo: Susan Selasky, Susan Selasky)

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes

1 pound spaghetti or thin spaghetti

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 tablespoon olive oil

teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons sherry

10 ounces fresh regular spinach, rinsed, tough stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces

cup heavy whipping cream

cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Remove from heat. Place the sun-dried tomatoes in the broth 15 minutes, or until softened. Drain, reserving broth, and coarsely chop.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place pasta in the pot and cook 9 to 12 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

Place the pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir until lightly toasted.

In a large skillet, add the olive oil, red pepper flakes and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the sherry.

Mix in the spinach, and cook until almost wilted. Add the reserved broth, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Continue cooking 2 minutes, or until heated through. Stir in the heavy cream, and cook until thickened.

In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the spinach and tomato mixture and pine nuts. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

From and tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

230 calories (34% from fat), 9 grams fat (3 grams sat. fat), 31 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams protein, 304 mg sodium, 13 mg cholesterol, 6 grams fiber.

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Best-by, sell-by, use by dates: What they mean, how they're different for food - Detroit Free Press