FDA issues guidelines for marking pre-packaged foods

By Daniel B. Codamon

Friday 22nd of June 2012

LAGAWE, Ifugao, June 22 (PIA) -- The province and all its 11 municipalities recently received from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) an administrative order regarding the Guidelines for Open-Date Marking of Pre-packaged Foods. This is part of the effort of government to protect consumers and inform them about the safety and healthfulness of the foods they are buying.

Open-Date Marking means a date indicated on food labels/package for the purpose of informing the consumer about the expected quality of the product at a given period of time provided that it has been properly stored but this does not mean that the date marking guarantees either acceptability or the safety of the products.

Date-marking has two types, the "Consume Before" date ("Use by" date or "Expiration Date") and the "Best before" date or "Best Use by" date.

The “Consume Before” date (“Use by” date or “Expiration Date”) is the date signifying the end of the estimated shelf-life of the product under a stated storage condition beyond which the quality of the product is significantly impaired and after this date the food should not be regarded as marketable.

On the other hand, the “Best before” date or “Best Use by” date is the date which signifies the end of the period under a stated storage condition beyond which certain quality attributes of the products will be expected to deteriorate however after this date the product may still be satisfactory for human consumption and shall remain marketable.

Products with shelf life of less than one month may indicate only the day and month. And if the shelf life is more than six months, it may indicate the month and year.

Date Marking shall be indicated on food packages using indelible ink or embossed on cans or on any other acceptable manner, it shall appear in conspicuous place such as in the front panel of the label or on top of packages like box, bottles or cans and when embossed on the bottom end of cans, the “from” panel of the label shall bear a statement indicating the location of the “date”. (JDP/DBC-PIA CAR, Ifugao)