With all the recalls and food safety issues that have come up recently, here is one other little secret about the food you eat: Cans don’t expire. Other than the sell by dates for dairy and meat, dates placed on shelf-stable products, including cans, only indicate a manufacturer’s guaranteed quality. Up to the time printed on the can, the manufacturer has determined the taste/consistency/etc. of the product is as good as it can be. After the date, things start to deteriorate, but not at the expense of actual food safety. So, if the cans or packaging are not compromised (rust on the lids, major dents in the sidewall or seam) they are perfectly fine to consume.
National brands of jarred peanut butter available to consumers are NOT affected by the recall and continue to be one of the most wanted foods for the food drive.
See previous posts for a link to the Food and Drug Administration list of recalled items. It is advised to avoid donation of products containing peanuts, peanut butter or peanut butter paste (such as baking mixes, snacks and sauces.)
To confirm: (primarily because a few news reports last weekend were incorrect) It is safe to distribute retail peanut butter in jars and our local food banks continue to do this.
Want to be really scared by how far the peanut product recall has gone? Check out http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/salmonellatyph.html!
Raffles February 2nd, 2009
If you’re holding a raffle, make sure to complete the paperwork (document located on the web site) including your starting and ending ticket number. After the raffle has been completed submit the form back to Shelly. It is important that this information is tracked so that the University can comply with state regulations.
