USDA Overhauls Food Date Labeling for Meat and Dairy

The new guidance will help combat a major source of wasted food, money and resources.

December 16, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture took action this week to help make expiration-date labeling on eggs, meat and dairy products less confusing, and eliminate a key cause of consumer food waste in the United States.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service provided guidance that encourages manufacturers and retailers of these products to use one universal “Best if Used By” date label on their products, to avoid the confusion caused by the roughly 50 different versions of labels currently being used nationwide. They also, in no uncertain terms, clarified that the dates on food are designed “to help consumers and retailers decide when food is of best quality. Except for infant formula, dates are not an indicator of the product’s safety and are not required by federal law.”

In America, 40% of food goes uneaten, and consumers are responsible for more of that waste than grocery stores, restaurants or any other part of the supply chain. Confusing date labels are a major contributor to consumer waste, as they are often misinterpreted as an indicator that food could make them sick and must be tossed.

The United States tosses $162 billion worth of food each year. That’s a problem that’s costing the average American family of four roughly $1,500 every year. Studies show that up to 90% of Americans are misinterpreting date labels and throwing food away prematurely, under the misconception that it’s necessary to protect their families’ health.

There are no federal rules that set standard ways to date food labels, with the exception of infant formula. State and local rules vary and in most instances, industry practice has been to print dates based on the manufacturers’ suggestions for when food is likely to be at its freshest or peak quality.

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