Date mark
Ready-to-eat food made on site and held cold for more than 24 hours is marked with the day it must be used, sold or discarded: at most 7 days at 41°F or less, the day of preparation counting as day 1 (3-501.17(A)).
Work out the date mark
Day 1: Sat, Oct 17, 2026
The last day to use, sell or discard it is day 7. Mark the container with this day.
Worked example. With JavaScript on, the result follows what you type.
Date marking
Ready-to-eat food made on site and held cold for more than 24 hours is marked with the day it must be used, sold or discarded: at most 7 days at 41°F or less, the day of preparation counting as day 1 (3-501.17(A)).
FDA Food Code 2013 (adopted in Massachusetts by 105 CMR 590.000)
Discarding
Food is discarded when it passes its 7 days (time it is frozen does not count), has no date mark, or carries a date beyond them (3-501.18).
FDA Food Code 2013 (adopted in Massachusetts by 105 CMR 590.000)
The discard day
The day the batch was cooked is day 1; the last day to use, sell or discard it is day 7, six days later. A finished batch is measured on the day it ended. Time a batch spends frozen does not count, and the app does not record freezing. Cold holding checks above 41°F are marked out of limit.
