When we pick our goods from our favorite grocery, one of the things that we never forget to do is checking its expiration dates. Who wouldn't right? Who would want to take home and consume an expired good, which could surely be bad for our health?
Given this reason, experts dig deep about this situation and found out how people are throwing away a large amount of food because of it. The study, which was published in the journal entitled Waste Management, was participated by over 1,000 people, as reported by Elite Daily.
The results of the study showed how most people, especially Americans, would just throw consumable products based on the indicated date stamped on it thinking it is not safe to eat anymore. Most of them think it is accurate and also federally regulated, so it is a must to throw the product once it is beyond the date specified.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) denies all these things explaining that the government has never been responsible for the dates stamped on products. The truth is, the labels are voluntarily posted by the companies who manufactured the goods to help their consumers know how fresh the good is before their purchase it.
"Not only that consumers widely misunderstand current labels, but also that misunderstanding and misplaced trust in the labels lead to excess reported discards," experts behind the author explains.
WHAT DOES THESE FOOD LABELS ACTUALLY MEAN?
When you see "best by" posted on your favorite good, Janelle Goodwin, a technical information specialist with the USDA, explains, it means your food will be at its best quality on or before the posted date. "Sell by", on the other hand, refers to how long should the product stay in the seller's inventory or how long the product should be displayed in their shops. Moreover, "use by" indicates the last date the product can be considered at its best quality.
SO, WHAT TO DO WITH FOODS THAT ARE BEYOND ITS PACKAGE DATE?
It is no need for you to throw away these goods, according to TIME. What you need to do is to use your senses to know whether or not it is still safe to eat. If signs of spoilage are already evident, then it is a must not consume the food anymore. If you noticed that there haven't any change in odor, texture, and flavor, then most probably you have nothing else to worry.
