120 Nutrition & Wellness for Life Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Although product dating on food packages is not required by law, except for infant formula, most manufacturers voluntarily provide dating on their products anyway. The dating is intended to inform you about when the food is of best qual- ity. With the exception of infant formula, these dates are not an indication of the food’s safety. You should not buy or use infant formula after its “Use-By” date. In the past, product dating has used phrases such as “Best if Used By/Before,” “Sell-By,” or “Use-By.” To reduce confusion and food waste, the USDA recommends that food manufacturers use only the “Best if Used By” phrase. This date indicates when the food product will be of best flavor and quality. This date does not convey when a food must be purchased by or when a food is no longer safe to consume. If foods have been stored properly, they should still be wholesome after their “Best if Used By” dates. Food products are safe to consume past the date on the label however, you should always evaluate the quality of the food product before consuming it. If the food has developed an off odor, flavor, or texture, you should discard it. If you plan to store foods for an extended time and want to achieve maximum keeping quality, avoid buying products with expiration dates that have passed. Rotate items in kitchen storage to use products with older product dating first. Other Basic Food Label Information Federal laws require certain information to appear on the label of every processed or packaged food product. This information includes the name and form of the food, such as French cut green beans. The label must also state the amount of food in the package in both US and metric units of measure. The name and address of the manu- facturer, packer, or distributor must also be listed. Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) Much of the food supply in the United States comes from other countries. Grapes and blueberries may come from Chile, avocados from Mexico, and apples from Canada. The country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law requires that full-line food stores provide consumers with information about the sources of certain foods at the point of purchase. Not all foods are covered by this law (Figure 5.12). Processed foods such as canned tuna, roasted peanuts, or fruit medley are examples of foods not covered by COOL. Beef and pork are also excluded from the law. Businesses such as butchers and fish markets do not have to provide COOL information because they do not sell fruits and vegetables. Restaurants, cafeterias, food stands, salad bars, and delicatessens are also not cov- ered by this law. The COOL information may appear on a food label, sign, twist tie, band, or other display, but it must be easy to read. The label must list the country (or countries) where the food was grown, or born, raised, and slaugh- tered. In some cases, an animal may have been born and raised in Canada, but slaughtered in the United States. The label for this food would include both Canada and the United States. Foods Covered by Foods Covered by Country-of-Origin Labeling Law Country-of-Origin Labeling Law • Muscle cuts of chicken, goat, and lamb • Ground chicken, goat, and lamb • Fish and shellfish (wild and farm raised) • Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables • Peanuts • Pecans and macadamia nuts • Ginseng Photo: Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 5.12 Certain foods must display country- of-origin labeling.