The Real Reason Expiration Dates Are on Food

The most common household debate within my family growing up was if the food was spoiled or not. It only takes one time to suffer from food poisoning to thereafter question everything you eat. I’ve always been extremely cautious and loyal to “use by” dates. My mother was strict with avoiding food waste. Those expiration dates did not scare her. Expiration dates and stubborn children convinced sickness will happen if the expired food was eaten drove her crazy. Now I’ve discovered the truth about expiration dates (I’m sorry mom). Expiration dates do not mean the food (with an exception of baby formula) has expired. Here’s the truth behind them.

A study done in 2012 showed that Americans throw away 165 billion dollars of food a year. The average household throws away $2,200 a year. There are many factors that go into this large food waste problem. However, a considerable amount is due to expiration dates. Many people do not understand expiration dates and throw out food items too soon. An expiration date on most food items does not mean the food is no longer edible. It means the food item is no longer at its best taste. Food companies aim to protect their reputation for quality and apply these labels so that the consumer won’t eat it past this date.

That tactic protects their brand, but what about our wasted money and food?

America needs to take initiative and educate ourselves on food items that we purchase. We should be more aware of properly storing food items and their true shelf life. It’s time to stop putting so much trust into food companies and expiration dates. The Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute are working to change these misleading expiration labels. Instead of using the words “use by” and “sell by” these associations are urging food companies to use “best if used by.” That way households are not misled into thinking that the food items can’t be eaten after the printed date.

This should help reduce the amount of food wasted in homes daily. This will save money for you and help maintain a stable environment. Here’s a chart featured in Time to help inform you of popular food items’ true shelf life.