Should we put an end to expiry dates?

Ibet it’s the first thing you do when you pick up something from the shelf on your all-consuming trip to the supermarket: Check out the expiry date of the product. Now, here’s a second hard look at expiry dates: For all ye consumers out there, Nadia Arumugam writes in Slate, “Expiration dates mean very little. Food starts to deteriorate from the moment it’s harvested, butchered or processed, but the rate at which it spoils depends less on time than on the conditions under which it’s stored.”

The writer instead points an accusing finger at these two culprits: moisture and warmth. For instance, she gives this cool tip: A package of ground meat will stay fresh longer if you put it near the coldest part of the refrigerator (that is, below 40°F).

If I may add, I read a pretty old book on safe food that dishes out this eggspert advice: “Eggs must be stored in the refrigerator in their original cartons, not in the egg trays on the ref door where they’ll be jostled and could develop minute cracks.” And don’t wash eggs before storing them. Eggs sold commercially have generally been washed and sanitized. This removes the protective oil that’s naturally found on eggs; thus processors often replace it with a thin coating of edible mineral oil. Washing eggs will remove this coating and cause bacteria to invade the egg through the pores. You can’t be eggstra careful these days, can you?

Of course, if you’re a responsible consumer, when you buy perishables like milk and meat, the first thing you do when you get home is to put them in the ref. If such is the case, you have a three to seven-day grace period after the “consume by” date has elapsed. But manufacturers are smart enough to know that this does not always happen. So, Nadia points out, “Manufacturers imagine how the laziest people with the most undesirable kitchens might store and handle their food, then test their products based on these criteria.”

The Slate article points out that expiration dates are supposed to inspire confidence but instead, they leave us more confused than ever. They’re confusing and misleading. Do you really understand what these words on the packaging mean: “best if used by,” “use by,” or “sell by”?

A consumer suggests that perhaps we should use our judgment — don’t let expiry dates spoil your day; many products are still good long after their expiry dates. For instance, if the pre-packed green salad you bought has turned yellow or brown, it can only mean that the vegetables have lost their nutrients. You wouldn’t eat something wrinkled, wilted or soggy, would you? If not, ignore the expiry date and go ahead and enjoy your salad days.

Somebody even suggested that we put an expiry date on a marriage certificate — for better, not for worse — but that’s quite another lengthy topic.

Nadia dishes out more tips:

• Pasta and rice will taste fine for a year.

• Unopened packs of cookies are edible for months before the fat oxidizes and they turn rancid.

• Pancake and cake mixes have a life span of at least six months.

• If stored in a cool place, canned items are potentially the safest foods around and will keep five years or more.

She shares the story of a food scientist who discovered a seven-year-old can of chicken chunks which, much to his delight, “tasted just like chicken.”

So, should we put an end to expiry dates and instead put instructions on how to properly store food and detect spoilage on the label?

Nadia asserts, “We should focus our efforts on what really matters to our health — not spoilage bacteria but their more malevolent counterparts: disease-causing pathogens like salmonella and listeria, which affect the food we eat not because it’s old but as a result of unsanitary conditions at factories or elsewhere along the supply chain.”

Now, that’s absorbing food for thought!

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No ifs and batts about it

We received a battery of e-mails from readers asking how they should dispose of used batteries (spent button cell and household batteries, including out-of-service rechargeable batteries). Wasting no time, EcoWaste Coalition gives this quick reply:

Dear Consumerline:

Sad to say, our government has yet to design and implement an environmentally-sound management of hazardous waste such as used batteries, leftover paints and thinners, spray canisters, and the like coming from household and small-scale waste generators. Up to now, there exists no functional system for their separate collection, treatment, and disposal.

For the time being, what we can suggest is for concerned citizens to bring their used batteries (wrist watch, calculator, cell phone, flashlight, and radio batteries) to the malls.  Yes, to the Trash to Cash Recycling Market at SM Supermalls or to the Recyclables Fair at Ayala Malls.

Unlike your recyclable paper, cardboard, glass, metal, and plastic, used batteries are not exchangeable for cash. Except for lead car batteries, they will only accept your used batteries for “proper disposal.”

The Trash to Cash Recycling Market at SM Supermalls is held every first Friday and Saturday of the month, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the open parking of participating SM Supermalls.

The Ayala Recyclables Fair is held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every first Friday of the month at Paseo de Magallanes, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; every second Friday at Glorietta 3 Park; every third Friday at Alabang Town Center (open parking lot); and every fourth Friday at TriNoma (north open parking).

In addition, the Ayala Malls hold recyclables fairs every second Saturday, alternately, at the Market, Market! (transport terminal) and ROX (parking lot) in Bonifacio Global City; every fourth Saturday at Marquee Mall in Angeles City; and every last Wednesday of the month at the College of Arts and Sciences (parking lot), UP Diliman.

By the way, Nokia and major service providers have introduced recycling programs for discarded phones, batteries or chargers.

Please look for drop-off points or recycling bins that you will normally find at selected malls and establishments.

For safer handling and storage of household batteries, the EcoWaste Coalition offers these reminders:

1. Make it a habit to read and follow the product safety instructions such as this warning from a popular brand of battery: “Do not install backwards, charge or put in fire — may explode or leak.”

2. Do not mix different battery types, or use used batteries with new ones, including batteries with varying expiry dates. The batteries can leak, ignite or explode, causing harm to you and the electronic item.

3. Do not leave batteries in a product for an extended period as these may leak and ruin the product.

4. Do not handle corroded batteries as harmful substances may be released, causing chemical burns. Use rubber gloves to handle leaking batteries.

5. Store old batteries in a Ziploc bag or other sealed containers until you can dispose of them properly. Properly label the bag or container and keep in a cool, well-ventilated dry place that is out of children’s reach for temporary storage.

6. Do not store used batteries together or dispose of them in big amounts. These batteries might still have some small charges remaining that can cause them to ignite or explode.

7. Do not dispose of old batteries in fire as this can result in explosions that can discharge harmful chemicals and cause damage to health and property.

8. Do not throw spent batteries in regular trash.

9. Check with your municipal or city Environmental and Natural Resources Officer (ENRO) on the proper disposal of used batteries in your locality or contact the National Solid Waste Management Commission (phone/fax: 920-2252; e-mail: nsmwc2004@yahoo.com) for advice.

MANNY C. CALONZO

EcoWaste Coalition

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