Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2. Background and Rationale 3. Temperature Abuse and Time-temperature Integrators 4. Establishing an Open Date 5. Current Practices 6. Current Regulations 7. Proposed Regulation 8. Judicial action 9. Perishable Refrigerated Products and Home Practices Survey 10. Conclusions References Appendix: A. Proposed 1999 TTI Legislation in Italy B. Canadian Open-Dating Legislation F D C. NIST Handbook 130 - Uniform OPen Dating Regulation as Adopted by The National Conference on Weights and Measures D. Extended List of State Regulations on Open Dating E. European Union F. 1999 Legisalative Proposal G. Proposed Federal Open-Dating Regulation H. Alabama Safe Foods Act of 2000 Index

About the Author

Theodore P. Labuza, Ph.D., Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota and Lynn M. Szybist, 1701 N. Concord Road No.9, Chattanooga, Tennessee