The "Best If Used by" date tags come your way to reduce food waste: Salt: NPR

The Food and Drug Administration sent Thursday a letter to the food industry urging companies to subscribe to the initiative to standardize the use of the phrase "Best if used by" on food labels packed.

"Consumer studies have shown that this wording helps consumers understand that the date label is about quality and not about safety, and that products should not be discarded after the date they are sold. they are properly stocked, "says Frank Yiannas, deputy commissioner at FDA.

According to Mr. Yiannas, the confusion surrounding competing labels – such as "Sell From" or "Use Before" – accounts for about 20% of the food waste in Americans' homes. And this message comes at a time when Americans are throwing around $ 161 billion worth of food each year. This equates to about one-third of all food produced in the United States that is wasted or lost.

"Imagine that you were going to buy three grocery bags at the grocery store and that when you go out, you throw one of those bags in the trash," Yiannas said. "It sounds ridiculous, but basically, it's what happens every day."

The major players in the food industry support the advice of the FDA. "We absolutely support the message the FDA is sending today," said Meghan Stasz, vice president of sustainability and packaging for the Grocery Manufacturers Association.

In 2017, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute launched a voluntary initiative to streamline date tags on packaged foods. As we reported, a similar global effort supported by the Consumer Goods Forum, a network of major players in the food industry.

Stasz says his industry has tested various date tagging terms with consumers. "The best if used by was a clear winner," she says. And she says it means exactly what he says: The product is at its peak – or cooler – if it's consumed before that date. "After this date on the package, [the foods] can taste a little stale, but they are still perfectly safe to consume. "

According to Mr. Stasz, food companies members of the Grocery Manufacturers Association have already adopted the recommendation to use "Best if used by", with more than 80% of the products of the portfolios of GMA members who use it. . "We have seen great progress in adoption," says Stasz.

The federal government does not require that date labels be affixed to food packaging. The only exception is infant formula. The FDA requires that infant formula be labeled with the use-by date. The food industry uses the expiry date in other cases where food safety is a problem. "Use" is essentially a scrapping date, "explains Stasz. "So, after this date on the packaging, the consumer [should] throw this product ".

This labeling guide applies to long-life packaged foods. The United States Department of Agriculture has made similar recommendations with respect to optional date labels on perishable products that they regulate, such as meat, poultry and eggs.

The federal government has set a goal of reducing food waste by 50% by 2030. "Although we do not have a regulatory mandate [on date labels]we have a responsibility to play a role in reducing food waste, and that's why the FDA is taking this step, "said Yiannas.