Editorial Policy & Review Process

How Safety Decisions Are Determined

Our guidance is based on a conservative risk model that weighs storage time, temperature, food type, and visible spoilage indicators together. Because expiration dates alone do not determine safety, we emphasize multi-factor evaluation aligned with FDA, USDA, and CDC guidance.

Some foods require additional context to assess risk accurately, which is why we provide an optional food safety check tool based on the same guidance described above.

Our Standards

• Use primary, authoritative sources (FDA, USDA, CDC, WHO, university extensions).
• Present conservative, safety‑first guidance; when in doubt, recommend discarding.
• Disclose uncertainty and note when ranges depend on handling and storage.
• Avoid medical claims; we do not diagnose or provide individualized medical advice.

Source Guidelines

Each page includes a Sources section and inline attribution where key facts are stated.

• Primary references: FDA Food Code, USDA FoodKeeper/CFS, CDC, WHO, government and university extensions.
• Secondary references (industry/NGOs) only when they agree with primary guidance.
• Outbound links use deep anchors to the exact section when possible.

Editorial Workflow

1. Research: Collect current guidance from FDA/USDA and relevant extensions.
2. Drafting: Create plain‑language guidance with clear “safe/unsafe” cues and storage steps.
3. Expert Review: Content is reviewed by our Food Safety Research Lead (see About page for details) prior to publication to verify accuracy, risk framing, and alignment with FDA, USDA, and CDC guidance.
4. Citations: Add inline citations for temperatures, time ranges, and risk notes.
5. Update cadence: Pages are reviewed at least every 12 months or sooner if guidance changes.

Corrections & Feedback

If you spot an error, contact us via the About page. We log material corrections on the affected page with date and summary.