Can I use your products after the Best Before Date?
We don’t recommend using our products after the Best Before Date.
Rice and rice products can go rancid or lose their integrity after the Best Before Date, so it’s best to use it before that date.
How do you read the Best Before date on your rice?
For packaged rice, the Best Before Date is printed on the back, bottom section of our our packages. It is printed in year-month-day format. Ex- 18Jan01, 01/01/18
For rice cakes, the Best Before Date is printed on the white plastic closure tab and the clear bottom section of the outer sleeve. It is printed in year-month-day format. Ex- 18Jan01, 01/01/18
For thin rice cakes, the Best Before Date is printed on the top cardboard panel of the packages. It is printed in year-month-day format. Ex- 18Jan01, 01/01/18
For chips and rice cake minis, the Best Before Date is printed on the front side of our our packages. It is printed in year-month-day format. Ex- 18Jan01, 01/01/18
Can you tell me more about your date codes?
All Lundberg Family Farms product packages have a Standard Day Code to identify the date of manufacture. In addition, most packages also have a Best Before Date.
Standard Day Code
The Standard Day Code identifies the day that the product was manufactured. This can appear in two different formats depending on the type of product:
- YYMMDD (Example: April 15th, 2012 = 120415)
- YDDD (Example: 2063 = March 4, 2012. “2” is the year, and “063” is the day of the year)
- YYMMDDLL HH:MM(year, year, month, month, day, day, line, line, hour, hour, minute, minute) Ex- 120415RC 13:35
The day of the year can be found using the Julian Calendar
Best Before Date
The Best Before date is the second code printed in the series of codes and can be formatted in several different ways depending on the product:
- YYMMDD (Example: 120815 = August 15, 2012)
- YYMMMDD (Example: 12AUG15 = August 15, 2012)
- MMMDDYYYY (Example: AUG1512 = August 15, 2012)
- YYYYMMDD (Example: 20120815 = August 15, 2012)
- DDMMMYYYY (day, day, month, month, month, year, year, year, year) Ex- 15APR2012
Canadian Products with Best Before Date
The date is listed: YYMMDD, but the months are listed as follows:
- JA-January
- FE-February
- MR-March
- AL-April
- MA-May
- JN-June
- JL-July
- AU-August
- SE-September
- OC-October
- NO-November
- DE-December
How do you recommend storing your rice?
We guarantee our rice will be at peak freshness until the best before date, which is 12 months after the product is packaged. To store our rice for a long period of time, we recommend using a clean, food grade container or the original packaging.
You can leave the rice at room temperature, in a pantry or cabinet, and it will last until the best before date (or around that time).
Refrigerating will help extend that shelf life by 4-6 weeks and freezing will help extend it up to 3 months.
For freezing, store the rice in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, you can thaw it in the fridge overnight.
What is the shelf life of your products?
Raw rice is stable for at least one year with proper storage. As with any natural grain, deterioration can be caused by heat, light, and pests. To maintain and extend shelf life, store rice in a cool (below 55 degrees F), dark, pest-free location; the refrigerator and freezer are great options.
The following is a list of products’ shelf life and is reflected in the Best Before Date printed on the package:
- Brown rice (raw): 12 months
- White rice (raw): 12 months
- Sprouted rice (raw): 12 months
- Heat & Eat Rice Bowls: 12 months
- Rice & Seasoning Mixes: 12 months
- Risotto: 12 months
- Rice Chips: 10 months
- Rice Cakes: 12 months
- Brown Rice Syrup: 18 months
- Quinoa: 12 months
- Steamed Rice Pouches: 18 months
How do I store leftovers?
We recommend storing it in an airtight container, in the refrigerator. When reheating the rice, sprinkle a teaspoon of water over the top to help loosen stuck, dried grains.
Reheat in the microwave on medium power, stirring every 30 seconds until the rice is hot. Or, reheat the rice in a pot over medium heat on the stovetop. Stir constantly to keep the grains moving, but be careful not to mash them. We also recommend using the leftover rice within 3 days.
Leftover rice also works very well with a sauce, as a rice salad or in a soup.
How do you assure the quality of your products?
We regularly review our carefully selected growers, handlers, and processors to ensure food safety regulations and agricultural standards are consistently met. Our strict quality requirements, which range from kernel moisture to prepared rice appearance/flavor/texture, are routinely monitored from harvest through final processing and packaging. Our organic fields, as well as those of our growers, are certified to USDA Organic standards. All Eco-Farmed rice meets our Eco-Farmed criteria (See above for more information on our Eco-Farmed products). In addition, we verify that all of our rice is not genetically engineered, through our participation in the Non-GMO Project. Our facilities also meet SQF Level 2 food safety standards.
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