Last week I had the awesome opportunity to write Toronto's food handlers exam! There were so many helpful tidbits to prevent food disasters. I thought I could share a few of these fun insights :). . Let's start with food labels! As many say, knowing the inference behind each label is key to eliminating unnecessary food waste. And also consumer confusion! :) - "Best before": aka, the life durability date. This date lets you know how long a package will remain at its peak condition (when stored properly). This date gives you a rough storage life guide for the product and can be thought of as a freshness indicator. What is key is that the best before date is not an expiry date. Both the quality and nutrition of a product can last well beyond the recommended date (or decay way before) depending on the circumstances. - "Packaging Dates": aka, the retail equivalent of 'best before' dates - for their internal use only. This is a super grey area, but legally, 'packaging dates' are only allowed to be placed on food that lasts up to three months. However, there should also always be a 'best before' date or shelving instructions close by to let consumers know the product's shelving life. As I am reading, we can eat food that is past the 'package date', but avoid if it is also past the 'best before' or 'expiration date'. - "Expiration Dates": aka, the do not past go dates. These dates for both health and nutritional concerns should not be played with lol... The harsh language is there for a reason. These dates are hard lines that are required when foods in all probability (even if stored correctly) will not meet either the nutritional or compositional standards of the product. Unlike the best before date... Once this expiry date hits - we can no longer trust the freshness of the product. Who sets these expiry dates? Haha, now- that's a debate we will have to get into one day. Other dates you may see: - "sell by" - " prepared on" - "freeze by" - "manufactured on" These are voluntary food labels used by the manufacturers. In normal circumstances, we can treat these dates like "best before" Okay, awesome!!! Hope this guide helps and you had a lovely day :) #foodlabels (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/Btj-v5xB_V-/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=15h7oyheajreq













