-=> Sean Dennis wrote to Dave Drum <=-

 DD> Those aren't actual "expiration" dates on the canned goods. They're
 DD> "best by" dates.

 SD> From what I understand, Al Capone came up with the "best buy" dates for
 SD> his dairy that produced milk after Prohibition.  I don't know if that's
 SD> the real story.

According to Smithsonian Magazine: "The humble sell-by date actually 
has a surprisingly short history. It was introduced in Marks & Spencer's 
storerooms in the 1950s before making its way on to the shelves in 1970. 
It wasn't even actually called a "sell-by-date" until 1973."

"In the United States, federal law requires only that infant formula be 
dated, but many states have similar regulations for products like milk, 
eggs and meat. But most food manufacturers date pretty much everything 
anyway."

They even gave a nod to the Al Capone story: "There's a fun bit of 
speculation, which one reporter attributed to a park ranger at Alcatraz,
that Al Capone popularized expiration dates on milk back in the 1930s.
The story goes that one of Capone's family members got sick after
drinking some expired milk, and Capone got interested in the milk
industry. He bought up a milk processor, called Meadowmoor Dairies, and
he lobbied the Chicago City Council to pass a law requiring visible date
stamps on milk containers. But food labeling on all kinds of food
doesn't really happen until the 1970s, according to a recent Natural
Resources Defense Council report."

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sell-and-best-dates-food-are-basically-made-hard-get-rid-180950304/

MMMMM----   Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

      Title: Expired Vegetable Frittata
 Categories: Eggs, Vegetables, Herbs, Breads
      Yield: 6 servings

      6 lg Eggs
           Stale tortilla chips;
           - crushed
           Garlic; minced
           Green onions; fine chopped
           Bell peppers; cored, diced
           Tomatoes; diced
           Zucchini; diced
           Cauliflower; chopped
           Pimento cheese
           Fresh cilantro stems &
           - leaves; fine chopped

  Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add crushed tortilla chips
  and let them soak.

  Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add
  garlic and green onions. Saute, stirring occasionally,
  until soft and fragrant.

  Add in peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and cauliflower.

  SPOONTIP: If you have some older vegetables in the
  fridge that look a little sketchy, be sure to cut into
  them before throwing them out - the skin can be
  deceiving. If your veggies still look and smell fresh on
  the inside, cut off the brown spots and use them.

  Pour the egg mixture into the pan and stir, making sure
  the vegetables are incorporated evenly. Rotate pan and
  stir until the eggs are no longer runny. Cook until eggs
  have set up.

  Remove pan from heat. Dollop pimento cheese over the top
  and sprinkle with cilantro stems.

  SPOONTIP: Feel free to use the pimento cheese you
  stashed away after your last potluck (or from when you
  had a random craving). 

  Set oven to broiler setting. Put pan inside until the
  cheese gets slightly golden.

  SPOONTIP: The broiler works fast, so keep an eye on it
  to avoid burning.

  Remove from broiler and carefully slide onto a plate.
  Garnish with cilantro leaves. Slice, enjoy, and save the
  leftovers for tomorrow.

  Meredith Ross, Claire Waggoner & Natsuko Mazany - Indiana
  University

  RECIPE FROM: https://spoonuniversity.com

  Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives

MMMMM

... I toil away in my kitchen without nuclear capability.
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