A recent caller wondered about the expiration dates on a couple of jars of Cheez Whiz.
"How," she wanted to know, "can Cheez Whiz go bad?"There are couple of ways to look at this, but I'll take the high road.
The dates stamped on Cheez Whiz are a guide for shelf stockers and are "sell by" dates. The optimum flavor of Cheez Whiz is five months after that date. However, if the unopened product has been handled properly (not riding around for hours in a 120-degree car trunk, or, on the other hand, frozen during one of those freaks of nature that we Texans can have), the product can be eaten past the five-month limit.
Simply use your discretion; if the lid is bulging or the product smells bad, discard it where animals cannot get to it.
If you have further questions about any Kraft products, the consumer hotline number is 800-543-3733.
Another reader had a question about the nutritional numbers that run at the end of recipes. Her particular concern was about serving sizes.
Every publication does this differently. Sandra Frank, a Florida dietitian, works many recipes. Her numbers are for the largest number of servings in a recipe. When a recipe yields six to eight servings, her numbers are for one of those eight servings. If you eat more, add on some calories. Whether your dish serves six or eight, the percentage of calories from fat remains the same; the fat and calories increase at the same ratio as you eat more.