Q: Can you tell me what the different dates mean on food products?

A: Product dating is voluntary and not required by federal regulations. However, if a date is used, it must also state what the date means:

¢ The “Sell-By” date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.

¢ “Use-By” date is the last date recommended for use of the product while at peak quality. This date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product. “Best if Used By (or Before)” date helps consumers by stating a precise date for best flavor or quality.

¢ “Expiration Date” helps stores and consumers by stating the shelf-life or the last day a product should be used while it is wholesome.

Except for “Use-By” dates, product dates don’t always refer to home storage and use after purchase. But even if the date expires during home storage, a product should be safe, wholesome and of good quality (if handled properly and kept at 40 degrees or below) for a short period of time after expiration.

Q: I’ve heard that you can cook eggs in a plastic ziplocked bag in a pot of boiling water. Can you tell me how to do it?

A: Actually, the makers of Ziploc and GLAD bags do not recommend using these bags for boiling food. The plastic used in these bags has a low melting point and could melt at high temperatures.

Q: What is kefir?

A: Kefir is a cultured-milk beverage believed to have originated many centuries ago in the Northern Caucasus Mountains of Russia. Kefir has a uniform creamy consistency, a slightly sour taste somewhere between buttermilk and sour cream, and a mild yeasty aroma. Kefir may have small amounts of carbonation and alcohol. It can be enjoyed plain or sweetened to taste. Traditional kefir is prepared by combining fresh milk with the kefir culture made up of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. Kefir’s live culture has been claimed to have health benefits similar to that of yogurt.

The kefir culture is more commonly referred to as “grains” since it forms grain-like casein-polysaccharide-microorganism particles during fermentation. To ensure consistency and sterility, commercial producers now generally use a powdered starter culture rather than grains. However, such cultures may not form grains or continue to culture indefinitely; making kefir grains the preferred choice for individuals.

Kefir is generally considered to be safe due to the lack of evidence of foodborne illness events related to it. Properly fermented kefir (pH less than 4.5) inhibits many pathogens, but not for Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Yersinia enterocolitica.

Care, therefore, must be taken in the home fermentation of kefir to prevent the access or growth of these microorganisms.

¢ Use only pasteurized milk.

¢ Use quality kefir grains from a reputable source.

¢ Because of the small risk of pathogen growth in home-fermented kefir, it is not recommended for those with weakened immune systems, e.g. pregnant women, the elderly, the very young and the chronically ill.

¢ Pasteurization of kefir before consumption will kill the microorganisms listed above.