There is a myth that you will get sick if you eat food after the dates labeled on the food. The truth is that companies base the labels on when they think the food is the “freshest” and not on any food safety standard
Stop! Before you throw that food away! Did you know that almost 40% of all food produced in the United States goes to waste every year? Yes, that is right! We (Consumers) throw away about four million tons of food annually, and it is all because of the sell-by, best buy, or use-by dates on the food that has been purchased.
There is no FDA regulation of national food safety law that mandates when food will expire. In fact, those dates vary from state to state. Yes, you read that right; your state requires the date labels. Then, your state leaves it up to the manufacturer to decide the date. Therefore, there is no law that states when food should expire. If you are throwing away food based on the date on the package, then you are discarding perfectly good food. As I have heard in many conversations on this topic, there is a myth that you will get sick if you eat food after the dates labeled on the food. The truth is that companies base the labels on when they think the food is the “freshest” and not on any food safety standard. Now, while we all want to purchase our food at its peak freshness, that does not mean it is not fresh after the date on the label. Hey, how would grocery stores make money from consumers if everyone knew that the food they were about to throw away was still good? It is the perfect business tactic! Put a date on the food, and consumers throw it away, which makes consumers continue to shop! Food sales would decrease drastically if everyone just started using their senses to determine if the food in their refrigerators was still “good to eat.”
Let us take milk, for example. Milk has an expiration date, but you never have to throw it out. You can always do the sniff test to make sure it does not smell sour but even if it is sour, it can still be used for cooking. Milk goes through pasteurization, where it is quickly heated and cooled to remove pathogens. So even if you happen to drink soured milk it will not make you sick.
“Sell-by “dates tell the stores how long they can keep it on the shelves or display to sell. “Best-by” dates are when the manufacturer says the food will have the best flavor. “Use-by” dates are what the manufacturer says is the last date the food will be at peak quality. There is one exception to mention, and that is baby formula. Formula is the only item that the United States requires to have a date with a specific meaning on it.
What matters to the best quality of the food is how it is packaged and how the consumer handles the food after being bought. Freezing food extends the quality and safety of food for up to a year. Ensuring that food is put away immediately ensures its safety. Food left in the car (especially in higher temperatures) or kept out of the refrigerator for prolonged periods of time has a greater likelihood of spoiling faster. Also, look at the packaging. Never buy food where the package is damaged. We can all use our senses to determine if the food is safe. Does it smell bad? Is there mold? Has the texture changed? Has it changed colors? These are all indicators of your safe-to-eat zone. Save yourself some time and money by not throwing away your food too soon!
