If you are headed out of town for summer travel, you may want to clean out your refrigerator before you go. When sorting through yogurts, breads, meats, eggs and other foods, you’ll see a variety of “Use By,” “Best Before,” “Sell By,” and other kinds of dates marked on food labels. In fact, the over 50 different existing date variations can be quite confusing and have led to a lot of perfectly good food ending up in the trash.
Starting this month, a new California state law standardizes food date labels to make them easier to understand. The goal is to help consumers tell the difference between a date that refers to food quality and one that is intended to promote food safety.
For years, there has been no consistent system for food date labels. Most dates on packaged foods, except infant formula, doof not have expiration dates. Instead, they have been the manufacturer’s estimate of when a product will have its best flavor, texture and quality. Many consumers have treated those dates as a signal that the food is no longer safe to eat. This has been a significant contributor to food waste.
Under the new law, manufacturers are required to use just two phrases. The first one is “Best if Used By,” which tells consumers when a product is likely to be at its highest quality. The second phrase is “Use By,” which is reserved for foods where the date is more closely related to safety. To ensure consistency, other phrases like “Sell By” and “Expires On” are banned from use. While a date label update seems small, standardized phrasing will make it much clearer when food is no longer safe to eat.
Keep in mind, the “Use By” date is not the only factor to consider when it comes to determining whether a product poses a food safety risk. How food is stored is just as important as the label itself. Keep refrigerated foods cold, store leftovers promptly and always check for signs of spoilage such as an off smell, mold or changes in texture. If there is any question about whether a food is safe, it is better to throw it away.
The new labels are also a reminder that reducing food waste starts with everyday habits. Before heading to the grocery store, take inventory of what is already in the refrigerator, freezer and pantry. Plan meals around foods you already have on hand. Buy only what you are likely to use, and freeze foods like bread, meat or leftovers if you will not eat them in time. Keep older items at the front of the refrigerator and pantry shelves to practice “First In, First Out” to encourage using older items first.
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Reducing food waste can help lower grocery bills, which is especially important as many families continue to feel the impact of higher food prices. It also helps conserve the water, energy and other resources that go into producing the food we eat.
While no single law eliminates food waste, standardized date labels make grocery shopping easier and safer for consumers. Knowing what those dates really mean will help Californians make informed decisions and avoid throwing away food unnecessarily while getting more value from every trip to the grocery store.
LeeAnn Weintraub, MPH, RD is a registered dietitian, providing nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and organizations. She can be reached by email at RD@halfacup.com.