How to understand the shelf life of imported foods

To this end, the State Food and Drug Administration recently organized relevant experts to interpret the issues related to the “shelf life” of food.

What is the shelf life of food

According to the "Food Safety Law" and related standards, food shelf life refers to the period of time for which foods are kept in quality under the stated storage conditions.

The shelf life is determined by the manufacturer based on the characteristics of the food produced, accelerated experiments or test results, which is equivalent to the company’s commitment to the product for consumers – within this period, the food is guaranteed in terms of flavor, taste and safety. You can rest assured that you eat.

The shelf life consists of two elements, one for storage conditions and the other for deadlines. The two are closely related and inseparable. Storage conditions must be marked in the food label, usually include: room temperature, dark storage, cold storage, frozen storage. If the storage conditions of the product do not meet the requirements, the shelf life of the food is likely to be shortened and even the safety guarantee will be lost.

National regulations on food shelf life

Japan: The "consumption period" and "taste period".

Japan has very strict requirements on the shelf life of foods, which are divided into "consumption period" and "taste limit period." The former is mostly used for perishable foods (such as fresh foods), and it means that they can be safely eaten in the unopened containers; the latter is mostly used for processed foods whose quality is not easily deteriorated (can be stored under refrigeration or at room temperature). Food) is the time limit for ensuring food quality and taste.

EU: Special marking of perishable foods.

The European Union stipulates that the shelf life is divided into "before consumption" and "best to eat before." The former is usually for some perishable foods. It means that eating after the shelf life may threaten health; the latter is for other foods, which means that the taste and taste may be affected after the shelf life.

United States: Four dates are specified on the packaging.

There are four types of dates on American food packaging and they are generally marked according to the nature of the food. The first is that the “sales deadline” must be marked on the outer box of the food, which means that the mall can only sell these foods before this date. However, it is not said that this date cannot be eaten. It will leave room for consumers to purchase and store food. The second type, "the best taste period," refers to the best time for the taste or quality of food. The third type is the "eating period", which is the last food date.

Normally this date is the longest, beyond which it must be destroyed. Fourth, the food must also be marked with a "packaging package date" so that problems can be investigated.

The shelf life of various types of food

1. Perishable oxidized foods.

In general, foods that are perishable and easily oxidized have higher shelf life requirements. Foods with higher water activity and higher protein and fat content are more prone to quality hazards after their shelf life, but they are not necessarily harmful and need to be inspected. Can be determined. In addition, metamorphic foods that are caused by excessive levels of microorganisms, oxidation, or metal ions, or fatty acids, may cause harm to humans after eating. The three categories of meat products, edible oils and eggs should pay special attention to shelf life.

2. Meat products.

Meat products are rich in nutrients. During long-term preservation, the bacteria in the meat will use the nutrients and moisture in the meat to proliferate, decompose protein, fat, and carbohydrates, resulting in spoilage and deterioration of the meat. At the same time, there is a potential risk of proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. . Some bacteria themselves also produce exotoxins and endotoxins that can endanger human health. In addition to the disease caused by the proliferation of bacteria, the corruption of the protein itself can cause diseases, such as the production of amines, hydrazine, mercaptans, hydrogen sulfide and other small molecules, which may cause harm to human health.

3. Cooking oil.

Expired edible oils usually show rancidity in the oil and other toxic substances, such as peroxides, are produced during the rancidity. After the rancidity of the oil and fat, when the heating smoke, large, deaf people, including decomposition of epoxy propionaldehyde, etc., easy to poison after eating, so that patients with acute respiratory and circulatory failure.

4. Eggs.

The shelf life of ordinary eggs is limited. If the shelf life is too long, the originally existing bactericidal substances in the egg white will gradually disappear, and various microorganisms will gradually invade and grow inside the eggs. Finally, the internal components of the eggs will be completely corrupted and become fluid. After this process, eggs, in addition to the remaining proteins and fats, may also produce pathogenic bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli. Deteriorating eggs can't be eaten even if they are cooked or fried.

No shelf-life foods can be sold anymore

Foods that have passed shelf life cannot be sold anymore and must be taken off the shelf.

However, foods that have passed shelf life are not equivalent to harmful foods; some of the main changes that occur in foods are the deterioration of sensory quality and can continue to be consumed, such as certain fruit juices, beverages, and some dry grain cereal products with low fat content; The impact of product quality may not be great, but it is only after the best quality deadline can be downgraded to feed. Some foods may cause safety hazards after the expiration date, such as excessive microorganisms, excessive heavy metals, and excessive peroxide values, such as some refrigerated foods, metal canned foods, and fried foods.

How to deal with food beyond shelf life?

Foods that exceed the shelf life are generally treated in two forms: first, incinerated or discarded as waste; second, processed feed, used as fertilizer, etc. for recycling.

Experts suggest that scientific risk assessment should be based on the premise that a reasonable warranty period should be established for food. The company's product quality guarantee period should rely on the technical support of professional agencies to verify whether the food can meet the product quality and safety standards within the marked warranty period. At the same time, it focuses on whether the sales link meets the requirements for food storage conditions, comprehensively considers the requirements for production and sales links, and establishes a scientific and reasonable shelf life for food products. We will strengthen the handling of foods that have passed shelf life and strictly implement the relevant regulations such as recycling and destruction. At the same time, it is also recommended that consumers develop the habit of purchasing foods and look at the label's expiration date. Do not buy and eat foods that have been expired.