What the label means now
"Sell-By:" This date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.
"Best if Used By (or Before):" This date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
"Use-By:" This date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Consumers who struggle with food safety questions that come from confusion surrounding the “best by” or “use by” dates could get help from new legislation.
For years, those labels have have prompted consumers to throw unused food in the trash. The average American wastes 36 pounds of food each month, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Legislation introduced in the U.S. House and Senate would set up nationwide standards for food expiration-date labeling and make it easier for people to understand what foods in their fridge are safe to eat and what they need to throw away.
Most foods are labeled with dates saying when the food should “sell by,” or tell people “best if used by,” “best before” and “expires by.” The difference between the dates and when the food is actually unsafe to eat could range from days to years, according to Jamie Higley, food safety program administrator at the Ohio Department of Health.
“Occasionally, you’ll come across a food that they may put a date on there and the manufacturer may state that it is a food safety date. But those are rare. It’s difficult to determine safety by a date,” Higley said.
Highley said manufacturers have historically stayed away from putting safety dates on food because it could be misleading to a consumer.
The labeling on most of these packages has to do with when the food is at its best quality, not when it expires. That’s why Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., has proposed the labeling law.
“Items at the grocery store are stamped with a jumble of arbitrary food date labels that are not based on safety or science,” Blumenthal said in a statement. “This dizzying patchwork confuses consumers, results in food waste and prevents good food from being donated to those who need it most.”
The legislation would also distinguish between when the food’s quality is best and when it must be thrown out.
“One of the most common arguments people seem to have at home is about whether or not food should be thrown out just because the date on the label has passed,” said Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine. “It’s time to settle that argument, end the confusion and stop throwing away perfectly good food.”
Twenty states, including Ohio, have some form of food-expiration labeling laws. They would be overridden if the legislation becomes law.
Gabe Jones, a Clark County Combined Health District epidemiologist, said the legislation will benefit the health of the community.
“I have read studies that indicate that more than 30 percent of food that is produced in the U.S. is not eaten. Food insecurity is a serious public health issue and one that we are currently trying to address in Clark County. If the bill were truly able to address when food products must be thrown out, then this could help prevent food waste,” Jones said.
Health experts said consumers should live by the saying, “when in doubt throw it out,” if they question food.
“When you put a product in a freezer, the clock stops. It becomes a quality concern and not a safety concern. It’s best to consume a product as soon as you open it,” said Jennifer Wentzel of Public Health Dayton and Montgomery County.
The USDA found that most people question the food they keep in freezers. Health experts said the expiration date on food labels do not matter if the food is left frozen, but it doesn’t mean the food can’t have bacteria.
Freezing keeps food safe until it can be cooked.
“It does not necessarily destroy harmful bacteria. Illness-causing bacteria can grow in these foods within two hours unless refrigerated or frozen. Therefore, storing these foods properly and promptly is very important.” Jones said.
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