FDA asks the food industry to change its use of expiry dates

The Food and Drug Administration is tackling food waste with a new effort to ensure that we do not throw out the groceries before they are absolutely inedible.

On Thursday, the agency sent a letter to the food industry as a whole, highlighting its support for a growing trend to almost universally adopt a "Best if Used By" date tag on products. At the same time, it also reminds the public that most foods can still be perfectly healthy if they are out of date, even if they are not so tasty anymore. These measures are part of a broader effort by the FDA to dramatically reduce the problem of food waste in America.

"Imagine this: you go to your favorite supermarket and go out with three bags full of provisions. Before getting into your car, you throw one of these bags in the trash. Sounds ridiculous? That's the case, but that's essentially what food waste looks like every day in our country, "said Frank Yiannas, FDA's Assistant Commissioner for Food Policy and Responses, in a statement released on Thursday. part of the FDA Consumer Update.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, about 30% of Americans' food is ultimately wasted in stores or at home, which represents a loss of about $ 161 billion a year. According to a study cited by the FDA, an average person throws out his food, he explains, largely by confusion as to the exact meaning of the different labels of dates that they encounter.

The FDA and the USDA (the agencies responsible for regulating our food) do not actually require the use of a date tag on most foods; companies do it at their own will. Nor do they need to use the language used in these labels by the FDA for approval, or even to explain how they determine their dates. This has led to a wide variety of date labels on foods, such as "sell by," "expire on," or "use by."

The problem is that if people tend to assume that they consider the expiration date of a product, the labels are simply meant to indicate the quality and freshness of the food, not their safety. Even at this level, the date is approximate, so many foods will stay fresh after the scheduled day.

However, in recent years, the food industry has tried to dispel this confusion. In 2017, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute formed an alliance to recommend that member companies adopt the "Best if used by" label for all non-perishable foods, as well as the "Use by" label for the spoiled food. They added that only foods labeled "Use by" would have an expiry date, which means that food consumed beyond that date could be dangerous.

In its letter to the industry, the FDA stated that she "strongly supported" the widespread use of the "Best If Used By" label for all appropriate foods. The strong FDA suggestion reflects that of the USDA, which mainly regulates animal products such as meat and eggs.

"We expect that over time, the number of different date labels will decrease as the industry aligns with this terminology" Best if used by, "Yiannas said. This change is already being adopted by many food producers. "

The main exception to this rule, however, is certain types of baby food. The FDA has long since demanded that a "Use By" label be affixed to all infant formula, intended to ensure the quality and safety of the product. It is interesting to note that the agency does not have to wonder whether the industry's increasing reliance on the use of the 'Use by' label for perishable foods that are not infant formula is worthwhile. to be adopted on a large scale, at least not for the moment.

Foods that remain in your refrigerator or pantry after the use-by date, indicated the FDA in its letter: "Should be safe, healthy, and of good quality after the date of quality" – as long as it's safe. they are & # 39; re stored correctly.

Instead of a strict rule for determining when a food is deteriorating, the FDA also suggests that a hint of common sense should be of sufficient help. If your cup of yoghurt has a different appearance, smell or feel than it usually does, it's probably time to throw it away.