Date marking: When is date marking required for prepared foods and how long can they be kept?

• A. Required for ready-to-eat foods prepared and held for more than 24 hours; generally 7 days max at 41°F or below.
• B. Not required for ready-to-eat foods; kept indefinitely.
• C. Required for all foods; 14 days.
• D. Required only for dairy; 3 days.

Answer: (A)

Date marking is used to control how long prepared, ready-to-eat foods can be stored. If a ready-to-eat item is prepared and will be held for more than 24 hours, you must mark it with the date by which it should be used or discarded. When these foods are stored at 41°F (5°C) or below, they can be kept for up to 7 days from the date they were prepared. After that, discard to prevent the growth of harmful microbes. This helps ensure foods aren’t kept too long in the safe-temperature range. The other statements aren’t accurate because date marking isn’t required for all foods or kept indefinitely, and it isn’t limited only to dairy or fixed to 3 or 14 days.