Confused By Expiration Dates? You ’re Not Alone. Here’s What They Really Mean

Most Americans are needlessly tossing out packaged food—not because it’s gone bad, but because they take the date stamped on it far too literally. That’s according to a recent study published in the journal Waste Management, which surveyed more than 1,000 people about the phrases and dates on food packages. Many Americans wrongly believed that food product dates—often prefaced by “best by” or “sell by”—are federally regulated and indicate the point after which the food is no longer safe to eat. (Neither is true: labeling decisions are made voluntarily by food companies and are meant to help consumers determine how fresh a food is, according to the USDA.) As a result, 84% of people throw out food when it’s close to the package date at least occasionally, the researchers found. The study shows “not only that consumers widely misunderstand current labels, but also that misunderstanding and misplaced trust in the labels lead to excess reported discards,” the authors write. Here’s what you need to know about food labels and what to toss when. What are the differences between food date labels? “Best by” refers to when a food is at peak flavor or quality, says Janell Goodwin, a technical information specialist with the USDA (who was not involved with the study). “Sell by” indicates how long a store should sell or display a product for inventory management reasons. And the “us...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Diet/Nutrition healthytime Source Type: news