Nora stood in her cozy kitchen, the scent of fresh herbs wafting in the air and jazz in the background. She was planning for her evening dinner, a family favorite for her close friends who she expected later. But in this moment, she had a problem.
She was getting ready to make her signature Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas when she realized that she needed Organic White Corn Masa for the tortillas. She remembered that she had purchased her masa from the bulk bin several months earlier but had enough left to make the homemade tortillas. Nora paused and wondered if her masa was still good. Was it going to ruin her tortillas? She sighed, rubbing her temples. She had been cooking for over a decade but wasn’t sure how long this staple would last.
Concerned and curious, she decided to do a little research. She grabbed her phone and did a quick lookup. The results were a mix of opinions from food bloggers, food producers, and other chefs. But the more she read, the more her mind began to open.
There are several ways food manufactures mark their products. They use manufacture date, “best by,” “sell by, ” and others. Different foods have very different shelf life, in fact, it was a little more complex. Some items, she learned, could be used well past that date if they had been stored properly. Certain foods might lose their peak flavor, but wouldn’t necessarily be dangerous. It was about quality, not safety, for many products.
She felt a little more at ease as she read on. Masa flour, for instance, should retain its quality and flavor for at least six months after the manufacture date as long as it had been kept in a cool, dry place in an air tight container. So, her masa could still have that rich taste that would elevate her tortillas and her enchiladas.
But Nora still had some lingering doubts. Could she trust the masa for the tortillas? Should she risk using it?
Nora decided to look more closely. She spooned out a small amount of the masa into a pinch bowl and took a careful sniff. It didn’t smell rancid or off. Next, she took a tiny taste—a bit of earthiness, a touch of corny richness. It was still good. She smiled, feeling relieved, but also enlightened. She had just learned something new.
She returned to her pantry and grabbed another item—a jar of dried Organic Black Beans she had on the shelf. She picked it up, looking at it thoughtfully, then placed it back. She wasn’t ready to push her luck, then realized that the Black Beans – because they are dried beans with almost no moisture in them, should stay fresh much longer. And sure enough, when she checked, the website said the shelf life is 2 years past the manufacture/processing date. So, she was happy to use the beans as her side dish.
As the dinner came together, Nora cooked with a newfound appreciation for shelf life and the idea of “best by” dates were actually more like an invitation to assess an ingredient’s quality, not a hard deadline for tossing it. By the end of the evening, her enchiladas were perfect, the Organic Masa adding just the right flavor and texture for the homemade tortillas.
She laughed to herself, wiping her hands on her apron as her friends left. Maybe there was a little mystery to shelf life—but for her, it wasn’t about rigid rules anymore. It was about trust—trust in her senses, her experience, and the understanding that food, like people, didn’t have an exact expiration date.
When checking food on the shelf to see if it’s still good, here are some key things to look for:
- How has it been stored:
- Use by, sell by, and best by dates: Save this information as a reference when storing ingredients in your pantry. The cook should inspect it further at the time of use.
- Cool, dark and dry storage really makes a difference: In these conditions, in air tight containers, foods of all kinds will last—keeping their quality for longer.
- Torn or open packaging: This could indicate contamination or spoilage, especially for items like chips, crackers, or boxed foods.
- Smell: If the food smells off, sour, or has an unusual odor, it’s best to discard it. Spoiled food often gives off unpleasant smells due to bacterial growth or fermentation.
- Color and appearance:
- Discoloration: If food, especially dried or canned goods, has changed color (like turning brown or developing dark spots), it could indicate age or degradation.
- Mold: Even though most shelf-stable foods shouldn’t grow mold, sometimes products like bread or dried fruit can develop mold, especially if exposed to moisture.
- Dryness or Clumping: For things like sugar, flour, or spices, if they’ve hardened into clumps or seem very dry, they might have absorbed moisture and are no longer fresh.
- Texture: If something feels unusually soft, slimy, or hard in a way that’s different from its usual texture (like dried fruit or crackers), it may be past its prime.
- Taste: If you’re still unsure, tasting a small amount can help determine if it’s safe to eat. Just make sure you don’t eat too much if you’re hesitant about its quality.
And here is a good guide to shelf life for various pantry categories: Keeping the temperature ideally 50°F-60°F, the environment dry and dark, and keeping the products in air tight containers.
Beans & Lentils: 2 years
Chocolate: varies considerably 6 months to 5 years depending a lot on the cocoa butter content
Dried Fruits: 1 year
Flours & Milled Grains: 6 months
Whole Grains: 1 year
Granola & Trail Mixes: 6 months – 1 year
Honey: 2 years or much longer, keeping any moisture out is the key
Oils: 1-2 years
Pasta: 1 year
Vinegars: 1-5 years
Nuts: 1 year
Seeds: 1 year
Sweeteners: 3 years
“Best by” and Manufacture/Processing Date
A "Best by" date is an indication of when a product will be at its peak quality, according to the manufacturer. It's not an expiration date, but rather a recommendation for when the food will taste the best or have the best texture, flavor, and nutritional value.
At Hummingbird, we use Julian date format to track the day our bulk products are manufactured or packaged on. You’ll find the date on the label or on the bottom in the form XXXXX. The first two digits are the last numbers of the year and the last three digits are the 3-digit day of that year. So, for instance, a Julian date of 25001 represents the first day of the year 2025, or January 1, 2025, while a Julian date of 24333 represents the 333rd day of the year 2024 or November 28, 2024. You can use the calendars below to tell you specifically what day your bulk product was packed on.
Best Practices
Here at Hummingbird: We are methodical about tracking and recording lot codes and manufacture dates. We always use First in, first out (FIFO) when it comes to inventory, a method used in foodservice to ensure food products are rotated according to their manufacture or best-by dates. This method assures that inventory rotated accurately to reduce waste and maintain product quality. All the products that we manufacture at Hummingbird are dated with the Julian date so that our customers know when these products were produced.
For our grocery customers: We encourage you to deep clean your bulk bins weekly, with soap and water before adding new product. Inspect bulk products daily for any signs of infestation, because where there is Organic food, there may be pests. With any product, grower or variety change, wait until the bin empties before restocking to keep the product consistent, tracking and recording the manufacture or best by date.