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- FAQs on Bacteria
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- Exactly what is meant by the phrase perishable food?
- Defining Some Current Language about Food
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- What does the term shelf life mean?
- What's in Our Food? Maybe Processing Aids, Maybe not
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- Exactly what defines a farmers’ market?
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- FAQs on Food-borne Illness and Mishandling of Food
- About how many cases of food-borne illness occur in the U.S. each year?
- Answer Key to “How Much Do You Know about Safe Handling of Food?”
- How Much Do You Know about Safe Handling of Food?
- I Left It Out Too Long! Can I Still Eat It?
- Should Your Grocery Card Track Food-Borne Illnesses?
- Sudden, Awful Intestinal Distress--Is it the Flu or a Foodborne Illness--or Both?
- What YOU Can Do to Avoid Food-borne Illness
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- FAQs on Food Product Dating
- Are stores required, by law, to remove outdated items from their shelves?
- Do most consumers actually pay attention to the dating on foods?
- Does the “use by” date matter once the product is frozen?
- Is information on food longevity and safety available by phone?
- What are expiration dates?
- What do the terms closed dating and open dating mean?
- What if there is no date on a product, and I don’t remember if I bought it a month ago or ten years ago?
- What should consumers know about food product dating?
- When Did You Buy It? When Did You Open It?
- When to Throw Food Out? Not on the Use-By Date
- Who establishes these product dates?
- Who requires and regulates dating on foods?
- Why do “best by” and “use by” dates sometimes seem conservative?
- FAQs on Food Safety
- "Is It Safe To….?" FAQs Answered by our Advisory Board
- FAQs about Ground Beef, Seasonings, Olive Oil, Lemon Wedges, and Fish
- FAQs about Mushrooms: Are they Very Dirty or Very Clean?
- FAQs about Soft Cheeses--What's Safe, What Isn't
- FAQs on BPA: the attacks continue, but are they justified?
- FAQs on Food Safety and Nutrition
- FAQs on Raw Fruits and Veggies—the Answers Can Protect Your Wallet and Your Health
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- Food Bars/Buffets in Supermarkets--Is the food safe? How can you tell?
- Food/Meat Thermometers—What You Need to Know
- How Long Should Cheese Be Aged? Will the Rules Be Changed?
- How Long Will They REALLY Last? Part I: Non-perishables
- How Long Will They REALLY last? Part II: Perishables
- Imported Foods—What’s Safe, What’s Risky?
- Is It Safe? Is It Nutritious? More Survey Answers from Scientists
- Is It Time to Switch to Pasteurized Eggs?
- Is the Food Safety Modernization Act Making Our Food Supply Safer?
- More FAQs about Minimum Safe Cooking Temperatures: Pork and Other Perishables
- Sushi: Why Such a Short Shelf Life?
- Winter Food Storage—Can I leave It in the Car or in the Garage?
- Would You—Should You—Do You--Eat Irradiated Food?
- FAQs on Food Wrapping
- Are any plastic wraps or containers really “microwave safe”?
- Are some plastic wraps more effective than others?
- Can I refrigerate meat and poultry in its store wrapping?
- Can I use plastic freezer bags to store produce in the fridge?
- Can chemicals leach unto food from plastic wrap or containers?
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- Does aluminum foil give foods a metallic taste?
- Does exposure to aluminum cause Alzheimer’s disease?
- Everything You Need to Know about Wrapping Food Right
- How should fruits be wrapped before refrigeration?
- Is it safe to use aluminum foil in a microwave oven?
- Should I wrap raw vegetables loosely or tightly before refrigerating?
- What are some advantages and disadvantages of aluminum foil?
- What produce needs to be wrapped before refrigerating?
- What’s better for wrapping food—plastic or aluminum foil?
- Why does foil sometimes darken, discolor, and leave black specks on food?
- Will a foil cover help keep foods on the table hot or cold?
- FAQs on Freezing Food
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- FAQs on Mold
- What is mold?
- Does mold ever grow on nonperishable food?
- Can I remove a moldy part from food and eat the rest?
- About how many different kinds of molds are there?
- How can I avoid getting mold on my refrigerated food?
- Is mold always visible?
- Are any molds harmless?
- What food groups are most susceptible to mold?
- What kinds of illnesses can result from eating moldy food?
- What kind of packaging protects foods from mold?
- What other safety tips will help prevent mold from growing?
- Why are some molds dangerous?
- FAQs on Organic Food
- What Is Organic Food?
- Are Organic Methods More Humane to Animals?
- Does Conventional Food Have a Longer Shelf Life Than Organic?
- Does Organic Food Taste Better than Conventional Food?
- Is Organic Food More Nutritious Than Conventional Food?
- Is Organically Grown Food Better for the Environment?
- What Do the Various Organic Labels Mean?
- What Important Contributions Has the Organic Movement Made?
- Which Are Safer: Organic or Conventional Food Products?
- Will Organic Baby Food Make Baby Healthier?
- FAQs on Oxidation: How It Affects Foods
- FAQs about Plastic Products Used with Food
- Pyrex® Glassware: Is it safe to use?
- Are plastic bags safe to use in the microwave?
- Are some plastic wraps safer and/or more effective than others?
- Are there any health risks from reusing plastic water bottles by refilling them with tap water?
- Are we eating chemicals from plastics along with our food?
- Can I microwave food in my plastic containers?
- Does the plastic used in water bottles pose a health risk?
- If I heat food in an open can, will that cause the plastic lining to leach chemicals into the food?
- Is it safe to heat frozen entrées in their plastic containers and with their plastic wrap?
- Is it safe to use plastic wrap as a covering when microwaving food?
- Is it safe to wash and dry plastic plates, cups, containers, and utensils in the dishwasher?
- Is there good evidence that BPA is harmful to human health?
- Of the plastic products used to store, heat, or eat with (wraps, bags, containers, silverware, plates, etc.), which contain BPA?
- What is BPA?
- Why is so much of today’s food packaged in plastic?
- FAQs on Preservatives
- What are Preservatives?
- All things considered, is our food supply safer or less safe because of preservatives?
- Are the preservatives in hot dogs and similar products health risks?
- What preservatives are known to cause allergic reactions?
- What are some common preservatives used in food?
- What food groups commonly have preservatives in them?
- Why are preservatives added to food?
- Will the label on the product tell me if it contains a preservative?
- FAQs on Washing Produce: Why and How
- Other FAQs
- Can chicken soup really cure a cold?
- Is Chocolate Good For You?
- Can Science and Technology Help You Save Food Dollars?
- FAQs Answered By Our Board Scientists: on Chickens, Bananas, Old Salad Dressing, and More
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- Food Fraud: Are you paying for scallops and getting shark meat?
- Is Cheese Addictive? Only If You Eat It
- Missing Chickens: Where Have All the Small Ones Gone?
- Nine FAQs about Food Labels
- Quiz Yourself! Check Your Knowledge about Food Temperatures
- Scientists Answer Two FAQs about Egg Safety
- Should Sour Cream and Cottage Cheese Be Stored Upside Down?
- Some Shelf Life Info, General and Specific (Spirits, Defrosted Veggies, Green Tea, and More)
- Syrup from a Tree or from a Lab--Which Should You Pour on Your Pancakes?
- Ten FAQs about the Prickly Pineapple
- What's New in Food? IFT Expo Offers Tasty Innovations
- What's on the Menu in Cuba?
- What’s in My Water? Answers to FAQs
- What will you be dining on this year? Here are predictions from folks in the know
- FAQs on Bacteria
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- Books: Food for Thought
- Food Safety
- It Says "Use By Tomorrow," But You Don't Have To
- Ten Tips for Consumer Food Safety
- Food Allergies: Recognizing and Controlling Them
- “Is It Spoiled?” When in Doubt, Check It Out
- How To Keep Your Cooler Cool
- Recent Recalls: Salmonella Threatens 100s of Products
- STOP! Don’t Rinse That Raw Chicken!
- Sous Vide—A Better Way to Cook?
- Why You Need a Safe Cooking Temperature Chart and How to Get One Right Now
- “Myth-information” about Food Safety: You’d Better Not Believe It
- After The Storm: What You Can Save and What You Must Throw Out
- How to Protect Your Food During a Power Outage
- Meet Your Beef--Via Bar Code Info
- Organic Food, GMOs, the Safety of American Food, the Value of Use-By Dates, and More--Scientists Tell Us What They Think
- Raw chicken, Leftovers, Deli Meats, and More-- What Surveyed Scientists Said
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- New Year’s Resolutions For a Safer Kitchen
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- A Food App You're Apt to Like; A Brand-New Invention for Getting Shelf-Life Information
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- Food Preservation--Low-tech Past, High-Tech Present and Future
- From Purchase to Storage, Tips on Extending Shelf Life
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A Food App You're Apt to Like; A Brand-New Invention for Getting Shelf-Life Information
Finding better ways to help consumers figure out how long their edible purchases will last is an ongoing priority. Recently, the U.S. government and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have been working together on the matter, and they've come up with an app called Foodkeeper with shelf life information on some 400 products including meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, and produce. Also for shelf-life answers, chemists at MIT have developed an inexpensive portable sensor that can detect gases produced by decaying meat; it tells consumers whether to eat that chicken or discard it. Let's learn more about both of these projects.
Foodkeeper
Try it; you'll like it, we're telling readers.
"WAIT A MINUTE!" readers respond. "I can't shift to Foodkeeper. It would be disloyal to Shelf Life Advice, my helpmate for the past six years."
Never fear. This app will not make Shelf Life Advice obsolete. Both sources have shelf life info about hundreds of products, but they don't always cover the same products or the same food information. (Examples: Shelf Life Advice does not cover baby foods or include shelf life data on obscure items such as "cherimoya," as Foodkeeper does). However, Shelf Life Advice (as our loyal users know) does contain Tips and FAQs on many aspects of food handling (such as advice about safe grilling), news stories about the latest food trends, warnings about current food recalls, and much more. Foodkeeper is primarily a speedy and easy-to-use guide to shelf life info.
A creation of the USDA, Cornell University, and the Food Marketing Institute, Foodkeeper will tell you (as Shelf Life Advice does) how long a food will last on the counter, in the fridge, and frozen. Read on for a summary of other features this app has, and play around with the app to find ways it can help you.
Here's the description of the app posted online by its creators:
"Every year, billions of pounds of good food go to waste in the U.S. because home cooks are not sure of the quality or safety of items. USDA estimates that 21% of the available food in the U.S. goes uneaten at the consumer level. In total, 36 pounds of food per person is wasted each month at the retail and consumer levels!
"Our new application will help you understand how different storing methods affect a product’s shelf life. This should help you maximize the storage life of foods and beverages in your home. In addition, the application can remind you to use items before they are likely to spoil.
"Application Features:
The FoodKeeper application offers users valuable storage advice about more than 400 food and beverage items including various types of baby food, dairy products and eggs, meat, poultry, produce, seafood, and more. With the application you can:
- Find specific storage timelines for the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry, depending on the nature of the product;
- Get cooking tips for cooking methods of meat, poultry and seafood products;
- Note in your devices’ calendars when products were purchased and receive notifications when they are nearing the end of their recommended storage date;
- Search the application with swipe gestures or voice control; and,
- Submit a question to USDA using the ‘Ask Karen’ feature of the application. ‘Ask Karen’ is USDA’s 24/7 virtual representative. The system provides information about preventing foodborne illness, safe food handling and storage, and safe preparation of meat, poultry, and egg products.
"The application is part of a larger effort between USDA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency called the U.S. Food Waste Challenge.
"FoodKeeper was originally a publication containing valuable advice to help consumers understand the shelf life of products when stored in the pantry, refrigerator or freezer. In 2015, partners turned the publication’s guidelines into this application.
"The app is available for Android and Apple devices." [Reviews for each application discuss the strengths and limitations of the app.]
"Storage times listed are intended as useful guidelines and are not hard-and-fast rules. Some foods may deteriorate more quickly while others may last longer than the times suggested."
A Sensor That Can Detect Spoiled Meat
This wonderful item seems to have no name yet, and it's not available for consumers to purchase at this time. But be on the look-out for it. The device could save you money and settle those arguments that spouses often have--the conservative one who's ready to throw that 4-day old steak into the garbage and the radical risk-taker who wants to throw it on the grill. The hope is that this invention will not only settle domestic disputes but also cut down on the enormous food waste problem in the U.S. and globally.
Here's how it works, according to MIT News: The sensor, which consists of chemically modified nanotubes, "can detect gases emitted by rotting meat, allowing consumers to determine whether the meat in their grocery store or refrigerator is safe to eat." To learn more about the science behind this invention, go to this article in MIT News.
MIT researchers tested their sensor on pork, chicken, cod, and salmon. They found that, in the fridge, all four types stayed fresh over four days. Left unrefrigerated, the samples all decayed sooner than that at varying rates.
This invention is not a totally new concept. Other sensors can detect signs of decaying meat, but these are usually large and expensive and also require expertise to operate. “The advantage we have is these are the cheapest, smallest, easiest-to-manufacture sensors,” says Timothy Swager, the Professor of Chemistry at MIT.
The MIT News article also points this out: "The sensor is similar to other carbon nanotube devices that Swager’s lab has developed in recent years, including one that detects the ripeness of fruit. All of these devices work on the same principle: Carbon nanotubes can be chemically modified so that their ability to carry an electric current changes in the presence of a particular gas."
This new device requires very little power and could be incorporated into a wireless platform that allows a regular smartphone to read output from carbon nanotube sensors such as this one. The researchers have applied for a patent on the technology.
Food scientist Dr. Karin Allen (a member of the Shelf Life Advice Advisory Board) offered the following comment on how this invention might work: "If it’s testing gas and it’s able to be used in packaging, it could be something as simple as a sticker with the sensor (carbon nanotubes) embedded within the top layer. We’re already using similar inventions that indicate when foods have been exposed to unsafe temperatures."
What type of gas might the sensor be looking for? Here's Dr. Allen's guess on that question: "It’s specific to meats, so it’s really looking for breakdown products from protein. Protein contains a lot of nitrogen, so I’m guessing it’s sensing trace amounts of ammonia gas (NH4), but there are some others they could be using."
Source(s):
foodkeeper.gov "New USDA 'Foodkeeper' App: Your New Tool for Smart Food Storage"
http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/2015/04/foodkeeper-application.html
newsoffice.mit.edu "MIT sensor detects spoiled meat"
http://newsoffice.mit.edu/2015/sensor-detects-spoiled-meat-0415
Karin E. Allen, Ph.D., Utah State University, Dept. of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences