Health Deptartment Reminds Shoppers: Check The Expiry Date of Products to Cook

The Department of Health (DOH) is reminding the public to check the expiry date of the ingredients they are going to cook when they prepare their Christmas ‘noche buena’.

“In preparing, please remember to check the expiration dates of the products that you will buy and include in the recipe of the ingredients to avoid food poisoning,” the department posted on its official Facebook account.

The same reminder was announced in the early days of December as a holiday safety tip by DOH spokesperson, Dr. Eric Tayag, to avoid holiday health problems that would spoil the Christmas Eve merrymaking.

Food poisoning results from consuming food contaminated with bacteria and other microorganisms from expired products.

Shoppers are advised to check the dates of manufacture and expiration before buying any edible product from the grocery or ‘sari-sari’ store – even when they are in a hurry. When buying in bulk, they should consider the products’ shelf life to prevent them from storing food that are about to expire.

Canned products that are rusty, swollen or dented are a no-no as they indicate spoilage.

Consumers should also pay attention to other factors that may affect the quality of the products, such as exposure to light, heat, moisture, transmission of gases, mechanical stresses, aside from contamination by micro-organisms. (PNA)CVL/LSJ/EBP