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BIT CHIN & MO ANING
EXPIRATION false beliefs are often contributing factors

to wasted food, wasted revenue, wasted
Exasperation household income, and food insecurity.
There are two vital facts to know about
date labels on foods in the US: They’re not
standardized, and they have almost noth-
By Judith A. Habert ing to do with food safety.
The system of dating food started as a
know that times have changed but are still here to talk about it. Come to think guideline for grocers so they would know
I ometimes I wonder if these changes are of it over my entire young life I never recall which foods to place in the front when
s
for the best? Growing up we were taught anyone getting “food poisoning” yet this is stocking shelves. The labels were not meant
to be happy for what we had. When we sat a constant fear for the young. Admittedly, for consumers. Savvy shoppers wanted to
down to dinner, we never would think of it isn’t a pleasant event, but it is not some- understand the codes so they could be sure
questioning what was on the plate in front thing of which I grew up being aware. to buy the freshest food. Soon the info got
of us, we were told to be thankful for every I have sought help from many websites, out to the public and the frenzy to find out
meal. articles, colleagues, and friends and many which food was freshest took hold.
As a child, there are often items on the feel exactly the way I do. But still, I can’t get It is also believed that the “Best if used
plate that might not be our favorite. For it across to my family. Finally, I found some by” label, was a gimmick by food producers
me, beets just didn’t excite me, but we were information online that echoes pretty much to be certain that their food would only
required to eat everything on our plates, as what I have been trying to get across to my be consumed at the exact moment that it
there were children in the world who didn’t family. I was certain that this information was at its peak freshness, so it would be a
have a hot meal every night. So begrudg- would hit home with this generation that memorable event for the consumer. With
ingly we ate what was given. is so conscious of what is happening to our so many brands to choose from this would
When I had kids of my own, I was planet and wants to ensure that we treat help assure that their brand would be
known to often make more than one meal mother earth with much more respect than remembered and purchased again.
as I knew there were certain things my we have in past decades. So here goes… So, now all I should need to do is show
son or daughters would not eat. This was Every year, the average American family these facts to my kids and they will never
a luxury that we never had growing up. throws out somewhere between $1,365 and again ask me if the food I offer them is
For many of my peers, this was also the $2,275, in groceries. This is according to a old. Fat chance, more likely they will ask
case. None of my friend’s mom’s cooked 64-page report co-authored by the Harvard if I found this bogus information on the
special meals for a member of the family Food Law and Policy Clinic and the Natural internet? Apparently, they only trust the ar-
or allowed them to leave food on the plate. Resources Defense Council. ticles they find on the internet. It is just all
There was the clean plate club of which Environmentally this poses a huge extremely exasperating, so now when they
we were expected to be regular members. threat as well. This study showed that visit I tell them to bring their own food.
What was placed on our plate was never “25% of fresh water in the US goes towards That seems to work out just fine.
to be questioned. As the saying in my day producing food that goes uneaten, and 21%
went, “children were meant to be seen and of input into our landfills is food. Landfills
not heard.” are full of wasted food, most of which was
Moving forward to today, I must say perfectly fine to eat.
when my kids come to visit and I offer At the same time that we are wasting
them food, the first thing they ask is “How all of this food, we have approximately
old is it?” Then they proceed to look for 42 million people who are living with
the expiration date of the item. I often food insecurity and hunger. Yet state-level
share the fact that there was no such thing regulations often make it difficult to donate
as “expiration dates” when I was growing past-dated food to food banks and other
up. There was a visual and smell test that services.
told us whether the food item should go in America obviously has a food
the trash or the oven. waste problem. But what can you do
What is even worse is now it has gotten when the date on the food clearly
to the point that if the item has two weeks states that it is no longer able to
or less left on the expiration, buy by, or be consumed. Well, guess what?
best if used by date, my kids, who I might Researchers have found that ex-
add are in their 20’s and 30’s will not buy piration dates rarely correspond
the items. I have fought many a fight with to food actually being inedi-
them citing the fact that when we grew up ble. These dates are truly not
expirations dates were nonexistent and we expiration dates at all. These

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