When is food 'fresh'?!


Question:

When is food 'fresh'?

I just started a new job as a cashier in a high end resort. We sell muffins next to the cash register. I overheard a customer ask my boss if the muffins were fresh, and my boss said; "Yes."

But we buy these muffins prepackaged and frozen, then staff repackage them in clear wrappers with a fancy twist tie.

They look like the ones you buy in gas stations.

To me a fresh muffin would be one made on site and not older than about 24 hours old.

I asked my boss 'if we buy these from somewhere else and repackage them, why are you saying they're fresh?' She looked at me and said; 'They're fresh.'

I argued a bit with her, then she said she tells people 'they're fresh, we get them from ___________ (nearby town).' But she didn't say that to this person.

I don't want to lie to people, if they ask me I'll probably say we purchase them and they're good (they're good I've eaten them, good, not great).

What does fresh mean to you?


Answers:
Good question. To me, foods are only fresh if they haven't been frozen or preserved in some manner.

The FDA agrees. From their site...

"The regulation defines the term "fresh" when it is used to suggest that a food is raw or unprocessed. In this context, "fresh" can be used only on a food that is raw, has never been frozen or heated, and contains no preservatives. (Irradiation at low levels is allowed.) "Fresh frozen," "frozen fresh," and "freshly frozen," can be used for foods that are quickly frozen while still fresh. Blanching (brief scalding before freezing to prevent nutrient breakdown) is allowed."

I would say, based on these standards, the muffins are far from fresh.

Source(s):
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dic...
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qa-lab8k.ht...

it means not frozen

I would say I dont know, but for me those things are not fresh




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