With one exception, I never look at food expiration dates. (The exception: fresh beans sprouts. They rot fast so I look for the newest package.) Expiration dates are essentially meaningless. Here are the facts:
- Food expiration dates (e.g., "Use by") have nothing to do with safety. They’re the manufacturer’s best estimate of when the product is at its “peak quality.” (“Sell by” date is the manufacturer’s suggestion for when the grocery store should no longer sell the product.)
- Except for baby formula, there are no federal laws regarding food date labeling.
- Labels can vary from state to state.
- Labels are not science-based and no rule or regulation requires manufacturers to divulge how they reached the dates they use.
- Pathogens don't just materialize out of thin air after the expiration date. Tests on food six months after expiration dates found no increase in the number of microorganisms in the foods and no significant changes in chemical composition.
The president of the Institute of Food Technologists once
said, “In 40 years, in eight countries, if I think of major product recalls and
food poisoning outbreaks, I can’t think of one that was driven by a shelf-life
issue.”
As to food waste:
- The U.S. discards nearly 40 million tons of food per year, an estimated 30%-40% of the entire U.S. food supply (219 pounds per person).
- Most uneaten food rots in landfills, where it accounts for almost 25 percent of U.S. methane emissions, a significant contributor to global warming.
- People waste about $1,300 a year on tossed food.
In 1968, treasure hunters discovered a Civil War-era steamboat at the bottom of the Missouri River. Among the items recovered were
several intact cans of food. Six years later scientists opened the cans to find
perfectly edible peaches, oysters, and tomatoes. The food had stayed unspoiled for
over a century.
For an introduction to this blog, see I Just Say No; for a list of blog topics, click the Topics tab.
No comments:
Post a Comment