Food Waste
Virtually all food we buy comes with a date: sell by, use by, best before, etc. Did you know that none of those dates are required and don’t indicate when a food is no longer safe to eat? So, if there is a date on a food package, how can we know what is meant by it? The only product whose expiration date is required by federal law is infant formula, which must list a date guaranteeing the nutritional value listed on the packaging.
A British study has shown that approximately 20% of all household food that is wasted is done so because of these confusing food labels. What can we do to stop this expensive and wasteful practice? Buy local, fresh food. You can tell when fresh food goes bad. Use the date as a general guideline but not as a rule. Use your five senses: if it smells or tastes strange don’t eat it.
