Food expiration dates don’t mean what you think.

Reducing Food Waste: Understanding Food Labels and Practices

How much of the food in your fridge will you toss before it reaches the table? Hamburger buns from last summer's picnic? Milk past its sell-by date? Carrots that lost their crunch? Countries around the world waste enormous amounts of food every year, and the United States is one of the worst offenders. An astonishing 37% of food waste in the US comes from individual households. Surprisingly, approximately 20% of these discarded food items end up in the trash because consumers aren't sure how to interpret the dates they're labeled with. However, the majority of these groceries are still perfectly safe to eat. So, what do these dates on our food really tell us?

Before the 20th century, the path between food production and consumption was more direct, and most people knew how to assess freshness using their senses of sight, smell, and touch. However, when supermarkets began stocking processed foods, it became more challenging to gauge the age of products accurately. In the US, grocers introduced a system called open dating, which is still in place today. Food manufacturers or retailers label products with dates indicating optimum freshness. Surprisingly, this vague metric has nothing to do with expiration dates or food safety. In fact, it is rarely based on scientific evidence, and there are usually no strict rules governing what dates to use. Most manufacturers and retailers set these dates early to ensure that customers taste their food at its best and come back for more. Consequently, many foods are safe to eat well beyond their labeled dates. Items like old cookies, pasta, and other shelf-stable groceries might taste stale but are not a health risk. Canned foods can remain safe for years, as long as they do not show signs of bulging or rusting. Freezer temperatures keep bacteria in check, preserving properly stored frozen dinners indefinitely. Refrigerated eggs are good for up to five weeks, and if they spoil, your nose will promptly alert you. Spoiled produce can be easily identified by off odors, slimy surfaces, and mold.

Nonetheless, there are cases where it's wise to err on the side of caution. The USDA recommends consuming or freezing meat within days of purchase. Beyond their printed dates, ready-to-eat salads, deli meats, and unpasteurized cheeses are more likely to carry pathogenic bacteria that can go unnoticed by a smell or taste test. However, it's essential to note that while some of these labels work as intended, the vast majority do not.

A 2019 survey of over 1,000 Americans revealed that more than 70% use date labels to determine if food is still edible, and nearly 60% said they would discard any food past those dates. This practice is not limited to households; restaurants and grocers often follow the same protocol.

To combat this widespread issue of food waste, many experts advocate for laws that mandate the use of one of two standardized phrases on date labels: "Best if used by" to indicate freshness or "Use by" to indicate safety. While this solution may not be perfect, some US researchers estimate that establishing federal standards for date labels could prevent approximately 398,000 tons of food waste annually.

Another approach is for grocers to consider removing date labels on produce, as several UK supermarket chains have done, encouraging consumers to use their own judgment. Additionally, experts recommend policies that incentivize grocers and restaurants to donate unsold food. Currently, confusion around dates has led at least 20 US states to restrict donating food past its labeled date, despite federal regulations protecting such donations. France takes a more proactive stance by requiring many supermarkets to donate unsold food.

Regardless of government policies, the most effective way to combat food waste is for individuals to eat what they buy. Don't forget that your eyes, nose, and taste buds are often sufficient tools to determine whether food is fit for consumption or should be composted. By making informed choices and understanding food labels better, we can all contribute to reducing food waste and its environmental impact.