Everything you need to know about the process, the history, and the benefits
For many people around the world, throwing out expired food has become almost an ingrained routine. Every week, unopened yogurt cups, bags of vegetables, and loaves of bread are discarded thanks to the date written on their labels. Indeed, this routine is done almost automatically, driven by the idea that 'expired' food is unfit to eat. But what if that’s just a myth? What if the very idea of expiration is misleading us into wasting vast quantities of perfectly good food?
The world’s obsession with food labels has snowballed into a crisis, whereby our planet’s resources are squandered due to the numbers printed on labels. So, what is the truth behind these expiration dates? Click through this gallery to find out.
Food waste across the planet is at an alarming high, with nearly 40% of produced food ending up in landfills. That’s about 1.3 billion tons every year, which speaks to a larger issue of how food and resources are managed around the globe.
The average American family throws away between US$1,365 and $2,275 in food annually. This wasteful habit drains household income and reveals a disconnect between food purchasing habits and consumption needs.
Across the globe, about 45 trillion gallons (170 trillion liters) of freshwater goes toward producing food that is never consumed, while food waste constitutes more than a fifth of landfill input. Humanity is experiencing an unprecedented strain on natural resources and landfill capacity.
Paradoxically, while millions of people face food insecurity and hunger, vast quantities of perfectly edible food are discarded. Systemic issues in food distribution (as well as the underutilization of food resources) is responsible for this.
Many people around the world throw out food based on the dates featured on expiration labels, often believing it’s unsafe to consume. However, research shows these dates are not standardized and they rarely reflect actual food safety.
Date labels began after World War II to assist store clerks in stock rotation. Over time, consumers demanded that these dates be visible, which led manufacturers to view labels as a marketing tool to signal freshness rather than an indication of safety.
Date labels like "best before" and "sell by" vary by country and by US state, leading to consumer confusion and often resulting in the premature disposal of food.
With different labels meaning different things, consumers struggle to decipher whether food is safe to eat. As such, they often default to tossing items to remain cautious.
The truth is that most foods (including many packaged goods) are fine to consume weeks or months past their labeled dates. However, the lack of clarity on labels causes many consumers to dispose of products out of fear.
Retailers and producers bear massive financial losses due to waste, often from needing to discard 'expired' stock or unsold odd-shaped produce. This cost contributes to higher prices for consumers.
Many consumers most likely wonder whether date labeling on products is nothing more than a scam. After all, neither customers nor grocers truly benefit from discarding food that is perfectly healthy to consume.
Some argue that producers set dates on food to encourage people to eat it quicker in order to preserve brand image and flavor quality. But this practice leads to unnecessary disposal of food that’s still perfectly edible.
A consumer culture focused on convenience and "freshness" drives waste. Many people throw out food that’s only slightly past peak quality because the habit is ingrained by a society that is accustomed to disposability.
The United States is possibly the worst when it comes to food waste. Unlike other cultures that embrace the natural aging process in food, Americans often view “older” food as undesirable. Consumables like aged cheese or fermented products are exceptions, yet this overall mindset limits food’s potential.
Social media and food trends have also created a “food status” culture, where people buy specific ingredients only to waste them later. More and more people are over-purchasing and failing to prioritize practical cooking with existing ingredients that they already own.
Some US states restrict grocery stores from donating past-date foods to food banks, fearing liability issues. This well-intentioned but misguided policy prevents usable food from reaching those in need.
Some supermarkets (especially in the US) often overstock shelves to meet consumer expectations of abundance. This leads to "planned shrinkage," where unsold products are anticipated to end up as waste, especially near or past the label date.
Some companies around the world have taken strides to rescue odd-shaped produce and near-expiration items. By doing so, they hope to change people’s perceptions around 'ugly' food and, by extension, reduce waste.
Researchers have advocated for a standardized labeling system, which could reduce food waste by helping consumers make informed decisions. This standardization could also bring about significant economic benefits.
While legislation for standardized date labels has been proposed for decades, political challenges have prevented meaningful progress and has prolonged consumer confusion and food waste.
In the US, the Consumer Brands Association and Food Marketing Institute introduced a "best if used by" and "use by" system to differentiate quality from safety. Unfortunately, this isn’t a widespread mandate.
Countries like the UK have launched public health campaigns encouraging consumers to “Look, Smell, Taste, Don’t Waste.” Such education helps people assess food quality beyond labels.
Encouraging consumers to trust their senses (like smell and taste) could empower them to gauge food freshness. Teaching this self-reliance helps reduce label dependency and unnecessary waste.
To tackle food insecurity, policy changes that allow safe donation of past-date food to food banks are essential. Adjusting the law could divert edible food from landfills to the tables of those in need.
If people were made more aware of the impact that food waste has on the environment, then this could drive consumers to rethink their disposal habits and look to more sustainable consumption.
Keeping products for slightly longer than their labeled date is perfectly safe. Deli meats and deli salads are certainly some products that cannot be kept for a long time, since they could pick up listeria in the production process. But this is the exception, not the rule.
There are various ways to check products for freshness. Eggs, for example, can be checked in a glass of water. If it sinks, then it’s good to eat. Even properly pasteurized milk is edible as long as it tastes and smells fine.
Ultimately, addressing food waste demands that people change their mindset. By valuing food as a natural resource and trusting in their own assessment, people around the world could foster a culture that respects food longevity and reduces waste.
Sources: (Vox) (The World Counts) (Consumer Brands Association) (Food Marketing Institute) (FDA) (UN World Food Programme)
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FOOD Sustainability
For many people around the world, throwing out expired food has become almost an ingrained routine. Every week, unopened yogurt cups, bags of vegetables, and loaves of bread are discarded thanks to the date written on their labels. Indeed, this routine is done almost automatically, driven by the idea that 'expired' food is unfit to eat. But what if that’s just a myth? What if the very idea of expiration is misleading us into wasting vast quantities of perfectly good food?
The world’s obsession with food labels has snowballed into a crisis, whereby our planet’s resources are squandered due to the numbers printed on labels. So, what is the truth behind these expiration dates? Click through this gallery to find out.