How can any consumer decide whether a packaged food is safe for eating? Obviously many depend on the label declaration printed by the manufacturer during the production stage but no product label ever contains any information regarding the safety of the product. The issue becomes more complicated when dealing with date expired foods. What is the responsibility of the manufacturer vis-à-vis the consumer? One cannot expect that a product put on the market shelf will last for ever and the label declaration can at best be a guidance to the consumer regarding the safety of the product within a certain period.
It is mistakenly believed that all foods after the marked date are not safe. Some can still be edible and safe though the quality may not be comparable to that existed at the time of manufacture. According to consumer activists " product date labels refer only to the quality of food, warning of the gradual changes in taste, color and nutrient content that can occur after the printed date. Consumers are largely left to figure out when food has become unsafe".
The problem is universal and probably has no effective solution. Food being a complex bio-organic material, chemical and physical changes are bound to occur at ambient conditions and such changes are exacerbated under higher temperature and humidity environments. Probably industry can give assurance only regarding the microbiological status of the product as long as the package integrity is not disturbed.
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