Food and Drug Administration
Presented by TP Mechanical | Provided by HORAN
Did you know that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate food expiration dates? And, several different types of expiration dates appear on food products, which can add to the confusion about how long food is safe to eat. Some commonly used food label dates include:
- “Sell By” Date: This date indicates how long a food product should be displayed on store shelves.
- “Use By”/”Best if Used By” Date: Manufacturers use this date to indicate how long a food product will maintain its optimal taste and texture.
- Expiration Date: This date indicates how long a food product is safe to eat.
Presented by TP Mechanical | Provided by HORAN
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that artificial trans fats are no longer Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) and is requiring that they be phased out of the food supply by 2018.
While trans fat does occur naturally in some meat and dairy products, many processed foods, such as crackers, coffee creamer and margarine, contain artificial trans fats. Artificial trans fats are created in partially hydrogenated oils (PHO)s, which are oils that have been infused with hydrogen. This process keeps the oils solid at room temperature, and is used to maintain flavor and increase the shelf life of processed foods. Intake of trans fat has been shown to cause various health problems, including high cholesterol and coronary heart disease.
