'Best by' confusion? Uncertainty about labels on food may be costing Americans billions

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — For an entire year, Founder of MOM’s Organic Market Scott Nash and his family ate food that was expired, and to everyone’s astonishment, they all survived.

Nash’s widely publicized point was to illustrate the ambiguity and vagueness of various date labeling practices used on food packaging.

So, why are date labels worded and marked in so many different ways?

While strolling down any aisle in the grocery store, consumers confront labels with language like “sell by,” “use before,” “best by,” “best if used by” and other phrases either more exact or elusive.

The issue may seem dubious, but according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the uncertainty consumers face when it comes to date labels on packages contributes to 20 percent of food waste in the home.

Now, if there’s any question on whether or not food waste is an issue for the U.S., data shows that Americans waste roughly one-third of their food, about $161 billion worth, each year.

That means the ‘best by’ confusion could be costing Americans $32 billion a year, let alone filling landfills with what could have been perfectly edible food.

Last week in a release, Frank Yiannas, the FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, explained, “Imagine this: You go to your favorite supermarket and come out with three bags full of groceries. Before you get in your car, you toss one of those bags in the garbage. Sound ridiculous? Of course it does, but that’s in essence what food waste looks like every day across our country.”

In an effort to dispel the confusion, the FDA is supporting efforts to standardize food labeling by using the phrase “Best if used by” on all products.

This phrase is optimal, according to the FDA, because studies have shown that it conveys quality, not safety, telling the consumer that the food can still be eaten after the date labeled and does not need to be thrown away.

“We expect that over time, the number of various date labels will be reduced as industry aligns on this ‘Best if Used By’ terminology,” says Yiannas. “This change is already being adopted by many food producers.”

It’s up to consumers to decide if this phrasing is any clearer. Others call into question the practice of date labels in general.

In a blog post detailing his journey through a year of eating “expired” food, Scott Nash remarks on the little known concept of “planned obsolescence.” This is the policy by which corporations and manufacturers produce goods that rapidly become obsolete and require replacing.

Nash writes, “It’s gotten so out of hand, it makes me wonder about the integrity of the manufacturers- they will slap a date on just about anything these days. ‘Planned obsolescence’ by corporations and entire industries is real. When we throw a product away, corporations profit.”

The FDA recognizes that date labels are not required on packaged food, and manufacturers are not required to obtain agency approval of the quality-based labels or specify where they came up with the labeled date.

Plus, the problem of food waste is nothing new. The National Resources Defense Council published a lengthy report entitled The Dating Game: How Confusing Food Date Labels Lead to Food Waste in America back in September 2013. The report calls for standardization, the kind the FDA supports.

In October, the FDA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Agriculture signed a formal agreement, each agency committing to increase efforts relating to the reduction of food loss and waste.

Mostly, the agreement details ways the agencies can better educate Americans about the impacts of food loss and waste.

For its part, the FDA is reminding consumers that most date labels refer to the quality of foods.

To know if one should eat these foods past the dates labeled, consumers should look out for noticeable changes in color, consistency or texture.

Other ways to reduce waste, according to the FDA, include refrigerating peeled or cut vegetables, using the freezer to store more foods until its time to eat them and avoiding bulk purchases, especially on things with a shorter shelf life.

Frank Yiannas says, “Reducing food waste is a shared responsibility, and consumers have an especially important role to play.”