Surely, You, as Much as Many Americans, Have Found Expiration Dates and Labels Confusing
Do you throw away food as soon as it expires?
Imagine opening your fridge and finding a jar of jam that’s a week past its “expiration” date. You might instinctively think it’s time to toss it, but are you really throwing away perfectly good food? This scenario plays out daily in kitchens across America, contributing to a staggering amount of food waste. In fact, about 30-40% of the U.S. food supply is wasted, with a significant portion due to confusion over expiration dates.
The Impact of Food Waste
- Economic Costs: Food waste costs the average American household about $1,300 annually.
- Environmental Impact: It contributes to climate change by generating greenhouse gases during production, transportation, and disposal.
- Food Insecurity: While millions of Americans face food insecurity, edible food is being discarded.
Understanding Expiration Dates
What Do These Dates Mean?
Just like your favorite smartphone brand tries to sell you all the new features each year, making you feel insecure about the abilities of your current phone in order to make you want the new phone, food companies use the unregulated and unstandardized labeling of food items to do the same. Be smart, and don’t fall for it. Save your money while helping reduce waste.
Expiration dates are often misunderstood. Most labels indicate quality, not safety. For example:
- “Sell By” is for retailers to manage inventory.
- “Best If Used By” suggests peak quality.
- “Use By” is typically for safety, but only strictly regulated for infant formula.
The Confusion
A recent survey found that 43% of consumers always or usually discard food near or past the label date, up from 37% in 2016. This confusion leads to unnecessary waste, with about three billion pounds of food discarded annually, valued at $7 billion.
Recent Developments
California’s AB 660
In September 2024, California passed AB 660, the first law in the U.S. to standardize food date labels. It mandates the use of “Best If Used By” for quality and “Use By” for safety, eliminating consumer-facing “Sell By” dates. This law aims to reduce waste and confusion, taking effect on July 1, 2026.
Federal Efforts
The USDA and FDA have launched a joint Request for Information (RFI) to gather insights on date labeling practices and their impact on food waste. This initiative follows public comments supporting standardized labeling to reduce waste and improve clarity for consumers. Let’s hope this continues, as this debuted under the Biden administration, remaining unclear if these efforts will be stopped under the Trump administration.
Solutions and Recommendations
Standardized Labels
Implementing a uniform labeling system across the U.S. could significantly reduce waste. ReFED estimates that standardizing labels could prevent 425,000 tons of food waste annually, saving $1.82 billion and reducing CO2 emissions.
Digital Labels
Digital labels could offer dynamic pricing and reduce waste by providing real-time information on product freshness and availability.
To Future Success
Educating consumers on what labels mean is crucial. At Sierra Club, we are always looking to educate and influence grassroots environmental organizations in the United States. This has been instrumental in the breakthrough with AB 660 in California, but we won’t stop here. We will continue to amplify the power of our millions of members and supporters to defend everyone’s right to a healthy world.
You have the power to make a difference. By understanding expiration dates and supporting standardized labeling, you can help reduce unnecessary food waste. Encourage your representatives to support federal legislation that simplifies date labels, and participate in public comments on the USDA-FDA RFI. Together, we can create a more sustainable food system.
Disclaimer: the content in this page was created as a class assignment.
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