What determines your buying a product
As Nigeria’s population continues to grow, demand for packaged food among the populace continues to rise and with it an increased awareness about healthy eating habits and safe products. This increased awareness is occasioned by a growing number of illnesses occasioned by improper eating habits and consumption or over-consumption of certain food contents with negative health implications.
The question here is how often do you go for shopping and then read the label on the item to understand everything that concerns such a product before purchase? Your guess is as good as mine.
Researchers found a big difference between what people look out for and what they typically want while shopping. Thirty-three percent of participants said they “almost always” looked at a product’s calorie content on the Nutrition Facts label; 31 percent said they almost always looked at total fat content (20% said they looked at trans fats); 24 percent said they studied products’ sugar content and 26 percent said they paid close attention to serving size.
Surprisingly, while only 26 percent of people self-reported that they almost always look at Nutrition Facts labels at the grocery store, 37 percent of them actually looked at least one component of the label for almost all food items. The researchers suggest that the discrepancy was most likely related to the fact that real-world Nutrition Facts labels appear on the side of the box.
Just recently, inside a shop in Lagos, a customer bought a hair cream and did not bother to check the expiry date, after opening the cream and even used part of it, he discovered that the colour was not normal and then he decided to check the label and saw that the product had expired three months back.
Moreso, according to a female shopper in one of the shopping malls, “this is not the first time I am purchasing brand of milk. I love the taste of the product. What I read is the Best Before Date to ensure it has not expired. That’s all.”
A recent survey by BusinessDay across major shopping malls in Lagos shows that consumers admitted they ignored labels. The survey shows that 50 percent of shoppers rarely or never read the ingredients list too.
At first glance, that might seem extremely dispiriting to those who have agonised about how to meet regulations. It could all come down to meaning. The question remains, how much of the shopping basket is actually made up of frequent products that are not scrutinised each and every time of purchase.
It is interesting to note that many consumers readily acknowledge that they consciously do not study labels on products that concern public health information. Because they decided to indulge themselves, they know they might not like what they would find on the label. Others admit to be more won over by price and avoid reading labels in case their decision is challenged.
With everyone conscious about one’s health, the frequently checked label is the expiry date. While this means different things to certain individuals, the expiry date life is the length of time that a commodity may be stored without becoming unfit for use or consumption. As it applies to foods, beverages, pharmaceutical drugs, chemicals, and many other perishable items, it gives an indication when to use the product.
While few people pay little or no attention about expiry dates as regards consumer products and drugs before consumption, health experts believe this has grave health implications such as food poisioning, etc.
Though manufacturers determine expiration date on products to assist consumers and malls in determining freshness, these dates on product labels can be confusing. Here are necessary tips you need to always observe;
Packing codes
These codes, which appear as a series of letters and/or numbers on the package, sometimes indicate the date or time of manufacture. Often, though, they simply appear as a meaningless jumble.
Either way, packing codes help manufacturers and grocers rotate their stock and quickly locate products in the event of a recall. But they are not meant to be interpreted as an indicator of either food safety or quality.
Sell-by date
Most sell-by dates are found on perishables like meat, seafood, poultry and milk. The date is a guide for stores to know how long they can display a particular product. While an individual can buy a product before the sell-by date expires, one can still store it at home for some time beyond that date, as long as you follow safe storage procedures (check the Keep It or Toss It database for the shelf life of specific foods).
Milk, for instance, that has been continuously refrigerated will usually remain drinkable for about one week after the “sell-by” date on the package. Experts say ground beef can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two days after purchasing it, even if the sell-by date expires during that time.
Born-on date
This is the date of manufacture and has been resurrected recently to date beer. Beer can go sub-par after three months. While these products can be affected by sun, the light can reactivate microorganisms in the beer. It is for this reason that extra care must be taken with beer in clear bottles, as opposed to brown or green.
Guaranteed fresh date
This usually refers to bakery items. They will still be edible after the date, but will not be at peak freshness.
Best if used by and use-by date
With emphasis on the best qualifier in this term, it means the product should retain maximum freshness, flavor and texture if used by this date. It is not a purchase-by or safety date. Beyond this date, the product begins to deteriorate, although it may still be edible
This is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product.
Pack date
This is the date the item was packed, most-used on canned and boxed goods. It is usually in the form of an encrypted code not easy to decipher. It may be coded by month (M), day (D), and year (Y), such as YYMMDD or MMDDYY. Or it may be coded using Julian (JJJ) numbers, where January 1 would be 001 and December 31 would be 365. In even more convoluted coding, letters A through M (omitting the letter I) are often assigned to the months, with A being January and M being December, plus a numeric day, either preceded or followed by the numeric year.
Below are some food storage tips/hints
• Once opened, many of the dates become obsolete since the contents now become perishable. It is advisable to use products as quickly as possible after opening.
• Be sure to refrigerate leftovers in a covered container (not a can) and use within three to five days.
• Some canned goods (such as condiments and pickled items) will still retain some longevity if refrigerated. Most condiments will have a warning to refrigerate after opening if necessary, so check the packaging carefully.
• When buying foods, always check the expiration date. Select the date farthest in the future for optimum shelf-life.
• Fresher packages may be at the rear or buried. Depending on how quickly you will be using an item, it may be worth digging out the newer product, but be sure to re-stack for the grocer.
• Take a tip from grocers and rotate your stock at home. Rather than trying to decipher cryptic codes on cans, use a marker to write the purchase date on cans and packaged foods to help you judge the age.
• Regardless of the expiration date, do not take a chance on cans that are bulging or oozing from the seam. Dented cans should also be avoided.
• Many baking mixes contain dehydrated fats which can become rancid with time or leaveners that may lose their potency. Check the date.
• Optimum storage temperature for canned goods is 65 degrees F. Higher storage temperatures can reduce shelf-life by up to 50 percent.
• Most canned goods can be stored up to 1 year under optimum temperature. Citrus fruits, fruit juices, pickles, peppers, sauerkraut, green beans, asparagus, beets, and all tomato products should be used within 6 months. If summer heat brings your kitchen temperature to 75 degrees F. or above, even for a short time period, cut those storage times in half.
• Canned foods should never be frozen. The expansion can split the seams of the can or break the glass container.
• In general, foods canned in glass have a longer shelf-life. However, they must be stored in the dark since light can accelerate some natural chemical reactions.
• Examine cellophane, plastic, and box packages to be sure they are not punctured or torn. Once the seal is penetrated, the integrity of the contents is compromised.
• Get your food home quickly from the store and into proper storage.
• The bottom line is to trust one’s eyes and nose. If it looks bad and/or smells bad, toss it out.
Anne Agbaje