Food safety
Q. How do I ensure that the food I buy is safe?
Q. Can you give me tips to ensure the safety of my frozen products when I travel to the cottage in the summer?
Q. How should I defrost frozen food?
Q. Is it safe to use a frozen product once thawed?
Q. What does the code printed on the outer packaging refer to?
Q. How should I store chocolate?
Q. How do I ensure that the food I buy is safe?
A. Everyone involved in the food chain, from the farmer to primary producer to the consumer, has a role to play in ensuring the safety of the food we eat. The food industry and government work together to deliver food that is safe to consumers. The important, and sometimes forgotten, role of the consumer is to maintain the safety of that food by using safe food handling practices.
Q. Can you give me tips to ensure the safety of my frozen products when I travel to the cottage in the summer?
A. When travelling with food, be aware that time, temperature and cold containers are key. Here are some tips to keep it cool:
- Keep frozen foods in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to go.
- Always use ice or cold packs and fill your cooler with food. A full cooler will maintain its cold temperatures longer than one that is partially filled.
- When travelling, keep the cooler in the air-conditioned passenger compartment of your car, rather than in a hot trunk.
- When running errands, do your grocery shopping last.
Q. How should I defrost frozen food?
A. Never defrost food at room temperature. Thaw food in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave if you will be cooking it immediately.
For more food safety tips, visit the Food Safety section of the Health Canada Web site.
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Q. Is it safe to use a frozen product once thawed?
A. We do not recommend using any frozen product if it is thawed before use, unless it has just been recently thawed. However, it is important to follow the preparation instructions as exactly printed on the packaging of these products.
Q. What does the code printed on the outer packaging refer to?
A. This is called the "Production Code". It is part of a quality system designed to help maintain product freshness and quality of all consumer products. All Nestlé Canada products have a 6-digit production code on the package. This production date coding is the first thing Nestlé Consumer Services will request from a consumer calling the toll free number with a product complaint. It is, therefore, essential that consumers keep the packaging handy until their query has been resolved by Consumer Services.
How to read the Production Code:
The digits of the code represent when and where the product was produced:
e.g. 2121CN
2 = the last digit of the year (i.e. 2002)
121 = the Julian day of the year (121st day of 2002)
CN = the factory ID
Q. How should I store chocolate?
A. Chocolate bars and boxed chocolates are particularly vulnerable to storage and handling conditions. The quality of sugar confectionery products can be adversely affected by humidity. Therefore, chocolate should be maintained at an optimal temperature between 15º to 18º Celsius.
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