Reference: food labels, storage and outages

Reference

This section explains the words you see on packaging and hear in conversations about household supplies. The terms fall into three groups: what the label says, how storage works and what helps during outages. The explanations are deliberately simple and free of numbers: the exact dates and conditions for each product are on its package.

The package is the most honest guide there is: it already says how long and where a product keeps. All that's left is learning to read that label carefully.

— Editor's note

Labels

Use by: The date until which food is safe, provided the storage conditions on the package were followed. A best-before date, by contrast, marks when quality is at its peak. If the conditions weren't followed, you can no longer rely on the date.
Production date: The day the product was made or packed. On its own it doesn't tell you how long the food can be eaten; for that, look at the best-before or use-by date.
Storage conditions: The line on the package about where and how to keep the product: in a dry place, somewhere cool, out of direct sunlight, in the refrigerator. These conditions decide whether the food stays safe until its date.
After opening: The line on the label about how and for how long to keep the product once the package is open. This period is often shorter than the main one and the conditions stricter, so it's handy to write the opening day right on the package.

Storage

Rotation: A routine that keeps supplies constantly refreshed: first in, first out. New packages go to the back, and whatever has been there longest gets used first.
Airtight containers: Tightly closing jars and containers for grains, flour and sugar. They protect food from moisture, odors and insects and let you see how much is left.
Pantry: Any dry, cool and dark place for supplies: a separate room, a closed cupboard or an alcove. The main thing is to keep it away from radiators, the stove and damp.
Pantry pests: Insects that get into grains, flour and dried fruit, as well as rodents. Infested food is thrown out, the spot is washed and dried, and nearby supplies are checked.

Outages

Flashlight: Your main source of light during a power outage: safer than candles because there's no open flame. Keep it in a fixed spot and check the batteries.
Power bank: A portable charger for your phone. It's useless when it's dead, so recharge it from time to time, not only when something happens.
Water supply: Drinking water in sealed containers, replaced by the date on the package. How much to keep is up to each family, depending on people, animals and usual use.
Paper contact list: A sheet with the phone numbers of relatives, neighbors, building management and your doctor. It helps if your phone dies or goes missing. For emergencies: 112 or your local emergency number.

Where to read more

How-to
A step-by-step article on building household supplies without panic, plus the article catalog.
Questions
Short answers about dates on food, water, light and heat, the first-aid kit, documents and pets.
Collections
Ready-made paths for a small kitchen, a family with a baby, and a cabin or country house.
Topics
Topic map: food and pantry, water and light, first-aid kit and documents, pets and special needs.

Questions
Short answers about dates on food, water, light and heat, the first-aid kit, documents and pets.
Collections
Ready-made paths for a small kitchen, a family with a baby, and a cabin or country house.
What's new
A feed of new and expanded pages in the guide, with dates and topic tags.

Sources

Labels and storage conditions on food packaging
General household preparedness advice from emergency services (general principles)
Ctokmarket editorial materials

Information is current as of the date it was prepared. Storage conditions and shelf life vary from product to product, so the label on the package is always your main guide. Your building management or local utilities will tell you about planned shutoffs and what to do during outages in your home.