Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/340913
DearMary:Can you clarify expira- tion dates on food products? When it says "Sell By 8/01/14," does that mean it has to be used or just sold by that date? Others show a date of say 2/01/16 on canned or packaged goods. Does that mean you need to use it by this date or what? Some canned or pack- aged products don't seem to have any date that I can find. Why is that? I'm so confused! — Bob D. Dear Bob: The answer, which I can promise you will be much longer than your question, may sur- prise you. We're all con- fused! There is no stan- dardization in the indus- try. Confusing food date labels lead to staggering food waste in America. The Food and Drug Ad- ministration mandates product dating only on in- fant formula and baby food. Everything else is voluntary. While there is no standardization, the food industry generally follows certain guidelines suggested by the FDA, the operative word being "gen- erally." Phrases such as "Best Before," "Better if Used Before," or "Best if Used By" tell you how long the product will retain its best flavor and high- est quality. They are found on products such as baked goods, cereals, snacks and some canned foods. The food is still safe to eat af- ter this date, but may have changed somewhat in taste or texture. The "Sell By" date is usually found on highly perishable foods such as meat, milk and bread. This date is supposed to guide the way products are rotated on store shelves and allows time for the product to be stored and used at home. The prod- uct is still safe and whole- some past this date. For example, milk will usually be good for at least a week beyond its sell-by date if properly refrigerated. Meat that has arrived at its sell-by date should be either consumed or frozen within 24 hours. You can also ex- tend the useful life of milk and baked goods by freezing within a day or so of sell-by date. "Expiration," "Use By" or "Use Before" are phrases that appear on yo- gurt, eggs and other foods that require refrigeration. Other dating terms are guidelines, but this one means what it says. If you haven't used the product by this date, toss it out. "Guaranteed fresh." This date is often used for perishable baked goods. Beyond this date, fresh- ness is no longer guaran- teed although the product may still be edible. Some products bear a "pack date," indicating when it was packaged, al- though this date is of- ten encrypted so that only manufacturers, wholesal- ers and retailers can read it. The pack date on some products, such as eggs, is shown by a Julian date (1 through 365), January 1 is number 1, and December 31 is number 365. In other coding, letters A through M (omitting the letter I) are often assigned to the months, with A being Jan- uary and M being Decem- ber, plus a numeric day, ei- ther preceded or followed by the numeric year. The point in all of this is that the fresher your food, the better it is. And processors want to assure customers that their prod- ucts will remain at peak quality for certain periods of time. Tip: In a properly stocked store, the freshest items will be at the back of the shelf or underneath older items. For more information on food storage and safety issues, go to www.fda.gov and search "food storage." Mary Hunt is the founder of www.Debt- ProofLiving.com, a per- sonal finance member website. You can email her at mary@everyday- cheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2099, Cypress, CA 90630. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Groceries and the dating game SUSANVILLE Suppression efforts continue on about seven lightning-caused fires across the Susanville Inter- agency Fire Center area. Additional resources from surrounding areas are arriving to assist on these incidents as needed. The largest of these — the Coleman fire — was re- ported at 1,140 acres as of Wednesday morning. It is about two miles south of the Oregon border near Coleman Canyon, north of Alturas on BLM land. One medium helicopter, two hand crews, one dozer and a strike team of engines are working to contain this fire. Air tankers have been requested. Another fire was about two acres; the others were less than an acre in size. They are located just north of Eagle Lake in the Cave Mountain, Dow Butte, and Big Jack Lake areas. All fires are staffed. For the Coleman fire area, the National Weather Service has extended the Red Flag Warning through Wednesday at 11 p.m. The forecast shows hot, dry con- ditions with the possibility of more dry lightning. Northeast California fire officials are reminding area residents and visitors to be careful with fire and fire- works when they celebrate Independence Day. Fire re- strictions, as well as a burn ban, are in place across northern California. Those planning outdoor trips should also follow these fire safety tips: Keep campfires small, and completely extinguish them before leaving camp. The best method is to douse the fire with water, stir the ashes and douse again, making sure all ashes are cold to the touch. Charcoal should be soaked in water after use. Smokers should light up only in areas cleared of all flammable debris. Ciga- rette butts should never be thrown from vehicle win- dows. Those exploring the for- ests and back country in vehicles must stay on es- tablished roads and trails and avoid driving over dry brush and grass that could be ignited by hot exhaust systems. Firewood cutters should operate chainsaws only in the cool morning hours. FIRE SEASON Crewsbattlelightning fire north of Alturas Today REDBLUFF California HEAT Chorus - Sweet Adelines:7p.m., Meteer School multipur- pose room, 695Kimball Road, 895-0139 Childbirth Class: 6:30- 8:30p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Columba Room, 888-628- 1948 Fun Senior Aerobics: 8-9a.m., $1, Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. 527-8177 Grief Support Group: 3-5 p.m., Coyne Center, Kristin Hoskins 528-4207 Imagination Train story hour: 4p.m., Tehama County Library Kelly-Griggs House Museum: 1-3p.m., Thurs- days and Sundays, 311 Washington St., tours by appointment,527-1129or 527-5895 Latino Outreach, noon: Family Resource Center, 220Sycamore St. Ste. 101, 528-8066 Live country music: 5-7 p.m., dinner, Veterans Hall National Alliance on Men- tal Illness: 6p.m., Tehama County Chapter Meeting, County Department of Edu- cation, 1135Lincoln St.., 515-0151 Painting session, Red Bluff Art Association: 10 a.m., Tehama District Fair- ground, 529-1603 PAL Martial Arts: ages 5-18, 3-5p.m., 1005Vista Way, Ste. C, free, 529- 7950 Penny Bingo: 9:30a.m., Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. Pinochle for Seniors: 12:30-3:30p.m., 1500S. Jackson St., free, 527-8177 Phoenix Community Sup- port Group for chemical dependence: 11:30a.m., Presbyterian Church, 838 Jefferson St., 945-2349 Red Bluff Exchange Club: noon, M&M Ranch House, 645Antelope Blvd. #1 Red Bluff Lions Club: 6 p.m., Veterans Memorial, 527-8452 Rock Choir: 4p.m., 601 Monroe St., free, all wel- come Senior Chair Volleyball: 1p.m. Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. Sunrise Speakers Toastmasters: noon, 220 Sycamore St. Swinging Squares Square Dance Club: 7p.m., Com- munity Center, 1500S. Jackson St., beginner or review classes: 529- 1615 Tehama County Peace Officers Association: 5:30p.m., M&M Ranch House Tehama County Public Health Advisory Board: noon to 3:15p.m., 1860 Walnut St., Shasta Con- ference Room, 527-6824 CORNING Am-vets: 4p.m., Corning Veteran's Memorial Hall, 1620Solano St. Cal-Fresh and Healthy Family Appointments: 1-3p.m., Family Resource Center, 1488South St., 824-7670 Corning Patriots: 6p.m., Senior Center, 824-2332 Dance with Juana:, noon to 1p.m., Family Resource Center, 1488South St., 824-7670 Diabetes Support Group: noon, Senior Center, 1015 4th Ave. Dual Diagnosis Group: 1:30, 1600Solano St., 527- 8491, Ext. 3309 ESL/Citizenship classes: 9a.m. - 11a.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Improved Order of Redmen # 203: 7p.m. Independent Grange 470, 20945Corning Road, 824- 1114 Sewing group: 9a.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Soccer training: 4-6p.m., except for holidays and rain, Woodson School soccer field, 150N. Toomes, 824- 7680 Women's Support Group: 6p.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Friday RED BLUFF Celebrate Recovery: 7 p.m., Bethel Assembly of God, 625Luther Road, 527- 0445or 366-6298 CORNING Car Show: 5-9p.m., Bar- tels Giant Burger, 22355 Corning Road, local car clubs welcome, 824-2788 Saturday RED BLUFF Chamber Certified Farm- ers Market: 7:30a.m. to noon, River Park, 527-6220 Frontier Village Farmers Market: 8a.m. to 1p.m., 645Antelope Blvd. TEHAMA Tehama County Museum: 1-4p.m., 275C St., groups by appointment, 384-2595 Sunday RED BLUFF AA Live and Let Live: noon and 5:30p.m., 785Musick St., seven days a week except Thursday meets at 8p.m. Al-Anon New Comers At Heart: 6:30-7:30p.m., Presbyterian Church of Red Bluff, 838Jefferson Road, Room 2, 690-2034 Knights of Columbus All- You-Can-Eat Breakfast: 8a.m. to noon, $5adult, $3 child or $12family, Sacred Heart Parish Hall, 2285 Monroe St., 528-1991 TEHAMA Tehama County Museum: 1-4p.m., 275C St., groups by appointment, 384-2595 Monday RED BLUFF Bend Jelly 4-H: 6 p.m.,Bend School, 527- 3101 Community Band Con- cert: 8p.m., River Park, free Diabetic Support Group: 6-8p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Coyne Center,Columba Room, Gail Locke 527-5290 English as a Second Lan- guage class: 5:30-8:30 p.m., Red Bluff High School Adult Ed building, 1295Red Bud, 736-3308, same time Tuesday and Wednesday and 9a.m. to 12:20p.m. Thursdays, free childcare from 9a..m. to 12:20p.m. classes in Richlieu Hall, 900Johnson St. Head Injury Recreational Entity: 10a.m.-2p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hos- pital, Coyne Center, Rusty, 529-2059 Key to Life: 6p.m., Fam- ily Resource Center, 220 Sycamore St. Ste. 101, 528-8066 Nutrition classes: 10:30 a.m. to noon, 220Sycamore St. #101 PAL Martial Arts: ages 5-18, 3-5p.m., 1005Vista Way, Ste. C, free, 529- 7950 Red Bluff Community Band Concert: 8p.m., Red Bluff River Park., 527- 3486 Red Bluff Senior Writing Class: 10a.m. to noon, Ex- ecutive Room at Sycamore Center, 220Sycamore St., 527-5762 Salvation Army Writing Class: 9:30-11:30a.m., 940Walnut St., 527-8530 Sons in Retirement: 11:30 a.m., Veterans Memorial Building, 529-5700 Sun Country Quilters Community Service Group: 9a.m. to noon, Family Resource Center, 220Sycamore St. Ste. 101, 528-1126 TeenScreen Mental Health Appointments: 10 a.m. to 2p.m., free, by ap- pointment only, Youth Em- powerment Services, 1900 Walnut St., 527-8491, Ext. 3012 TOPS Club (take off pounds Sensibly): 8:30 a.m., First Christian Church, 926Madison Ave., 527- 7541or 347-6120, visit www.tops.org US citizenship prepara- tion class: 5:30-8:30 p.m., Red Bluff High School Adult Ed building, 1295Red Bud, 736-3308, same time Tuesday and Wednesday Venture Crew 1914meet- ing: 6:30-8p.m., Moose Lodge on 99W, coed ages 14-20welcome CORNING Alcoholics Anonymous: noon Monday through Friday, 5p.m. Thursday, 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Saturday and 1p.m. Sunday, 783Solano St., behind the church Bingo: 5:15p.m. early bird, 6:30p.m. regular games, Maywood Grange, High- way 99W just past Liberal Avenue, 833-5343 Exchange Club board meeting: 7p.m., Holiday Inn Express Narcotics Anonymous: 7 p.m., 820Marin St., 824- 1114or 824-2090, meet- ings are every day through Saturday with an additional meeting at noon Mondays Sewing class, 9a.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Spanish Adult Education: 5p.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Strategies for Success, Life Skill classes: 1:30 p.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Weight Watchers: weigh in 5:30p.m., meeting 6 p.m., Senior Center, cor- ner of South and Fourth streets, Kayla Deihl leader Los Molinos Senior Dance: 7p.m., Senior Center, Josephine Street, 384-2100 Tuesday RED BLUFF Community Basic Life Support: 6-10p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Columba Room, 888-628-1948 Cribbage Club: 6p.m., Cozy Diner, 259S. Main St., 527-6402 Fun Senior Aerobics: 8-9a.m., $1, Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. 527-8177 Healthier Living with Chronic Conditions: 5:30-8p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Wright Room, 888-628- 1948. CALENDAR Mary Hunt Cody Kaveh in May received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Chapman Uni- versity. Cody graduated from Red Bluff High School in 2007 and re- ceived his BS in Exer- cise Science from Long Beach State in 2011. Cody resides in the city of Orange with his wife, Cortney Ka- veh. He is completing his residency at Hoag Hos- pital in Newport Beach and will soon complete his state boards. GRADUATE Cody Kaveh receives doctorate in physical therapy Smog Check (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. starting at $ 29 95 + $ 8 25 certificate SERVICESATLOWERPRICES All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K MembersWelcome STOVEJUNCTION The TheNorthState'spremiersupplierofstoves 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff 530-528-2221 • Fax 530-528-2229 www.thestovejunction.com Over 25 years of experience Tues-Sat9am-5pm• ClosedSun&Mon Now Carrying! GreenMountainGrills & Accessories Serving Butte, Glenn & Tehama Counties FORRENT Car Guys Dream Totallyremodeled6car garage with a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house included on acreage. River access, dead end county road and driveway. Antelopearea. $1,200 per month 530-528-0680 THURSDAY, JULY 3, 2014 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |LIFESTYLES | 5 A