Dear Do-It Man: I have Del Monte canned peas, corn and green beans in my food storage and I would like to know how old they are so I can rotate them properly. I can't tell from the code stamped on the label what date the cans were packed.
The code on the green beans is 0234 R 71. The code on the corn is 62901. The code on the peas is 51941.- S.L., Salt Lake City
Dear S.L.: Your green beans were packed Aug. 22, 1990; the corn, Oct. 17, 1996; and the peas July 13, 1995.
Canned goods should last six or seven years. Any can that is bulging, no matter when it was packed, should be thrown away.
Here's the key. The first digit is the last digit of the year. The next three digits are the day of that year.
So, the green beans were packed in 1990 on the 234th day (which translates to Aug. 22 on a Julian calendar, which has 365 days a year).
Digits following the three-digit day code refer to the plant where the can was packed.
Disney Babies romper sets
Catton Brothers Corp. of New York City is recalling about 13,000 Disney Babies romper sets for boys and girls. Some of the romper's crotch snaps were improperly attached, exposing a sharp prong. The exposed prong could cause injury to infants.
The romper sets have a denim romper with an embroidered Baby Minnie or Baby Mickey and a denim hat with a Baby Minnie or Baby Mickey patch. They come in style no. 1169 for boys and style no. 1168 for girls in sizes 0 to six months.
Department and discount stores sold the romper sets nationwide from October 1996 through February 1997 for about $10 to $14. The Disney Store did not sell them.
Consumers should return the romper sets to the store where they purchased them for a full refund.
Fiesta ware reincarnated
A staple in American kitchens since 1937, Fiesta dinnerware collectors crave finding pieces from the '30s and '40s.
Homer Laughlin China Co. still produces Fiesta ware, but the line was changed in the 1950s, when light green, dark blue and ivory were replaced by forest green, rose, chartreuse, and gray. Prices on the older colors have skyrocketed in the past five years.
In 1973, Fiesta was discontinued, but other china companies took up the style. Then Homer Laughlin re-introduced its Fiesta line in 1986.
- Joyce Rosencrans,
Scripps Howard News Service