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Experts estimate that the average family of four throws around $ 1,484 worth of food. TNS
Barbara Quinn
It 's the spring household' s time or what I call "cleaning the garbage" at a time of year. And that goes for food in my kitchen. I have to make a better effort to use the food I have on hand before I go to refuel.
I must not be alone. According to a report from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, about 40% of all edible foods produced in America are not eaten, often because we stick to it too long. And before blaming the restaurants and grocery stores, a lot of the good food that is thrown away is happening at home.
In fact, experts estimate that the average family of four consumes about $ 1,484 worth of food and beverages a year.
And sometimes we throw away good food too early because we do not really understand what the dates on the labels mean.
This can cause us to waste billions of pounds of food every year, says Bob Brackett, director of the Institute for Food Safety and Health at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Understand these dates, he advises, and we can better judge how to use our food:
"Sell Before" is the date on which a store must stop selling a food product. This does not mean, however, that food is dangerous after that date. In general, a product still has about a third of its life after the sell-by date.
"Use-By" tells us the last date we can expect this food to be of the highest quality possible. A food consumed after this date will not necessarily make you sick; however, its quality will decrease fairly quickly after that date. Infant formula is the exception, however.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration, "Do not buy and do not use infant formula after the use-by date."
The term "best product" is the best estimate of the last date the food will be ideal or better. In the case of salad mixes, for example, some remain very numerous several days after the "Best-By" and others … no.
Here is a game to play when you are bored. See how many items you can find in your fridge and your pantry are close to their expiration date. Then use these foods before you buy more.
Tribune News Service
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