Food storage methods have evolved significantly over the last hundred years, and with good reason. The shift was made from the ice box to the electric refrigerator and foods started being processed and sold in vacuum sealed packages to retain their integrity. Even with all of these advancements, food still goes bad; it grows mold, becomes stale or simply loses freshness qualities. Although some of these problems appear to be cosmetic, the damage goes much deeper and can pose health and safety concerns when ingested. For this reason, the FDA requires all processed food to have an expiration date. Depending on the product, the date could be months or even years in the future. There are many environmental parameters such as proper temperature or humidity levels, that impact the rate at which degradation occurs.... Read More >