issued guidance on date labels where all packaged foods must display either a вЂњbest beforeвЂќ or вЂњuse byвЂќ date on the package. The Consumer Goods Forum has called for standardized date labels, and some countries are complying. A December 2018 consumer survey regarding date labels found that 88% said the two date label phrases were clear to them, and 85% said they were helpful.Д«ut problems also exist internationally. вЂњUse byвЂќ for certain perishable products that may be more susceptible to degradation of quality or potential food safety concerns.A вЂњbest if used byвЂќ label as an indication of product quality.In 2017, the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) announced a voluntary initiative to encourage manufacturers and retailers to adopt either of two introductory phrases for date labels on packaged foods: The FDA has the authority to assist state and local governments with food safety efforts, but it has no power to mandate one system of labeling.Д®stimates on the number of different date labels currently in use across the industry vary. Another 11 states do not require date codes for those three food categories. The GAO looked specifically at eggs, dairy and shellfish and found that Pennsylvania requires labels on milk only and Texas on shellfish only, but Georgia requires labels on all three. But it also accuses federal agencies of not working with state, local and municipal authorities since there is no consistency from state to state or among municipalities regarding date labeling requirements. The GAO report, вЂњDate Labels on Packaged Foods,вЂќ finds that some federal agencies are working together to specify fewer but more definitive date labels. The various forms of вЂњbest byвЂќ dates (or simply date labels) often cause consumers to bypass any product with a short вЂњsell byвЂќ date, leaving them to be junked at the store or tossed prematurely at home, when the products are still good.

Government Accountability Office reports that much food waste comes from consumersвЂ™ misinterpretation of product date labels. In todayвЂ™s marketplace, finding, checking and understanding product date codes can take longer than locating the products themselves, reports Food Engineering magazine.ДЄccording to the magazineвЂ™s research, the U.S. ALEXANDRIA, Va.-Imagine the frustration consumers feel after searching for the вЂњbest byвЂќ date on a food product, only to find a вЂњdisplay untilвЂќ or вЂњharvested onвЂќ date instead.

Expiration dates on food