The world of food labels is a confusing one. Here’s what you need to know about those dates.
This effort, McCarthy says, aims to prevent food waste and help consumers avoid confusion on whether their food is still “good.”
But relying on date labels to determine whether a food is “still good” is where things can get confusing. McCarthy weighs in on the variousWithout being too dramatic, there’s a general thought that if you eat a food after the date on the label, you’re headed for a foodborne illness disaster.date states when a product will have its best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.date tells the store how long the product can be displayed for sale, which helps with inventory management.
“There is a hodgepodge of phrases that appear on food package labels, and the ‘Best If Used By’ is one that we know consumers understand best,” McCarthy says. “It indicates freshness, not food safety.”When it comes to date labeling, there are no federal regulations, except for infant formula, which is labeled for food safety, McCarthy says. That means manufacturers canlabel their packages to help consumers understand how long their products will be at peak quality or freshness.
“There are a variety of factors that affect food safety—including temperature, length of time [food] is in distribution, how long it’s in the store, how long it’s in your fridge—that it’s really hard for manufacturers to predict when, exactly, a food is no longer safe,” McCarthy says. “Usually you are the best person to tell that. Your nose is your best friend.”
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