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Why consume DRIED apricots within 21 days?

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Q: Why consume DRIED apricots within 21 days?

I bought a large bag of dried apricots at Costco. I was planning to enjoy them slowly over the next few months (the Best Before date is in mid 2023) but the label says: "Reseal and refrigerate after opening and consume within 21 days." I find that weird. Dried fruits usually keep for months and months. The only clue I've got is the ingredient list mentions 2% water. Any idea? Safe to consume after 21 days? 3 month? 6 months? Thank you so much! Dried apricots food label enter image description here



Answer

As far as food safety goes, you should listen to the package.

These are not just dried fruit. They are "partially rehydrated dried apricots". Once you begin to rehydrate (or if you don't fully dehydrated) fruit, you lose the full preservative effect of drying.

If you want to keep dried fruit outside of refrigeration for an extended period of time, get fruit that is fully dried, and not partially rehydrated.

The label tells us there is 2% added water to the already-dehydrated fruit. We don't know the residual water after drying. What we do know is that "someone" dehydrated the apricots until they were "dry enough," then this manufacturer added back water equal to 2% of the apricots. If there's 1 kilo of apricots, then 20g (20ml) of water has been rehydrated into the fruit.

Without more info, food safety rules tell us that have to assume that the added water brings it back to the threshold of being perishable, and demanding those labeling instructions.

It's entirely possible that these instructions are intended for quality control and not food safety. However, this is an agricultural product without preservatives where the label indicates refrigeration is required--so food safety rules would treat it as perishable as if it were fresh.

Whether you can still eat it and not get sick might be a different answer; however that question is off topic. This site limits food safety Q&A to government food safety regulations, not anecdotal experience.