A food worker makes sandwiches using tuna salad prepared yesterday how should the food worker label the sandwiches with a use by date?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answer:
The food worker should label the sandwiches with a use-by date that is 7 days from the date the tuna salad was prepared, including the preparation day as Day 1.
Explanation:
When preparing ready-to-eat (RTE) foods like tuna salad sandwiches, it’s important to follow food safety guidelines established by health authorities such as the FDA Food Code. These guidelines are designed to prevent foodborne illness by limiting the time potentially hazardous foods are stored before being consumed.
According to the FDA Food Code (2017 and later versions), refrigerated, ready-to-eat, perishable foods prepared and held for more than 24 hours must be clearly marked with the date by which the food must be consumed, sold, or discarded, which is 7 days from the day of preparation. The preparation day counts as Day 1.
In this case, the tuna salad was prepared yesterday, so yesterday is Day 1. When the food worker uses that tuna salad today to make sandwiches, the use-by date should still be calculated based on when the tuna salad was first prepared, not when the sandwiches were assembled.
For example, if the tuna salad was made on June 1st, then:
- June 1 = Day 1
- The final use-by date would be June 7th
- The sandwiches made on June 2nd would also be labeled with a use-by date of June 7th
This rule ensures that the tuna salad (and anything made with it) is not kept longer than the recommended safe period. Labeling food correctly is crucial for maintaining food safety, preventing spoilage, and avoiding health code violations. The food worker must ensure accurate labeling to protect consumers and uphold hygiene standards.
