Expiration dates and food waste....the current arguments that food expiration dates lead to food waste is one that is so singular in focus that blame food company practices for being responsible instead of purchaser of the food who fails to manage properly. In an article Is It Really Expired? The Truth About Food ‘Expiration’ Dates, we see many of the same complaints about code dating, but a failure to recognize the real issue...failure to manage according to those dates.
Face it, when you spend $3.00 on a bag of chips, your expectation is that the bag of chips within code date is going to meet your expectations...100% of the time. Not 50% of the time. A manufacturer does not want to disappoint a customer and have them return the product (which in the end costs the manufacturer for that bag... at retail price, and the potential of a lost customer). The date that is set is that guarantee of that quality. But there are those that say....well, that bag of chips is still safe past that date, but may not be as good. What is that probability? Maybe 5 days past the code date it is 90%....two weeks 80%. Quality continues to deteriorate by the day, and while still safe, 80% quality was certainly not worth 100% of the $3.00 you spent on the bag of chips.
Products, and the processes that produce these products, are all different. The conditions in which products are distributed and then stored also vary greatly, impacting the deterioration of product. The manufacturer has an interest to set that code date out as far as they can, for distribution purposes, but to a point where they can guarantee that the quality is still acceptable 100% of the time. There are numerous factors taken into account when setting a date. No one can do this but the manufacturer because in the end, their livelihood is dependent upon it.
But instead of us focusing on educating people on using food in a timely fashion, we look to force companies to potentially sell products that have a chance to fail before they are consumed. Food is a expensive resource that must be used wisely. Along with that, we should have a system that can capture any remaining value for product that is not exactly at the standard it was when paid for at full price.
For the consumer, it should come down to managing the resource properly. Use food before it gets close to date...buy only what you can use in a reasonable time period....only prepare what you plan to consume immediately or within a few days if not adverse to eating leftovers.
Do not make me buy something at full price that does not meet 100% of my expectations. Do not put in regulations forcing companies to set dates where product failure is a possibility just because somebody may misplace a food item on the shelf only to find it 3 months later.
There is agreement that there needs to be better adherence to code dating standards. A standard was initiated by Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA, now the CBA). "The new voluntary initiative streamlines the myriad date labels on consumer products packaging down to just two standard phrases. “BEST If Used By” describes product quality, where the product may not taste or perform as expected but is safe to use or consume. “USE By” applies to the few products that are highly perishable and/or have a food safety concern over time; these products should be consumed by the date listed on the package – and disposed of after that date."
Educate people on the correct reason for these dates and for the need to use food wisely. And then give them a way to handle this product if it has not used wisely to start (with the understanding that it is not as good from a quality perspective as it once was). In the end, it comes down to the consumer for managing their food and using that resource in a mindful way.
EcoWatch
https://www.ecowatch.com/food-expiration-labels-dates-safety-ecowatch.html
Is It Really Expired? The Truth About Food ‘Expiration’ Dates
Forgot about that container of yogurt in the back of the fridge? A bag of granola lost in the pantry? A glance at the expiration date might tell you that it’s time to toss it, but in fact, “expired” food might still be perfectly safe and enjoyable to eat..
