For more than half a century, food has been marked with “this date”, but it is still simple suggestion for these dates, and there is still no consensus between consumers. Does the date of consumption indicate the date when the food needs to be eaten? Or is the date when the food we eat is just a rough concept when we should eat them?
Kathryn Butler was thrown away as soon as the food date of any food in her kitchen, because she “lived in the fear of [her] child vomiting.” Batler worked in the catering industry and participated in several food safety training. She recalled that she learned that if food deteriorates, there may be many problems. “She said,” The point of view of mold spores in expired flour and other things really impressed me. Her training in food safety, coupled with the attention of her child’s well -being, has led to her so -called “caution of some healthy foods.”
On the other hand, Chaunie Marie Brusie is not so cautious. She said, “Once I ate a whole toast, and found that the bread was moldy.” She explained that she “focused on the smell and appearance of [food], not … [Date of use] “
Some families have differences in the date of use. Luz-Doukins said that her husband would throw things away on the day of the “Best Edit Date”, or even inspect, instead of using his eyes and nose to determine whether it can. “
“She said,” This makes me very angry. “I hate this waste.”
Casey Mier Lason and her husband often quarreled for the concept of the use date. “He is a strict deadline for the deadline, and I am not. She told Yahoo’s life.
She acknowledged that her husband” did not know how many times “she provided food for her family. Mori said that her husband thought that if she provided food for the children over the use period, she would “poison” their children, but she was convinced that no one in her family was sick because she had eaten anything she provided, even if she had been eating anything she provided, even if she had been providing anything she provided. After ignoring the period of use. “She said,” As long as it smells good … not wasted, not greedy.
Why is there such a confusion?
There are reasons for chaos around the date of use. According to Hilary Walentuck, a registered nutritionist in New England Dairy, “Date label is not a security label,” but consumers often don’t know this fact.
When talking about the date of use, she said, “They are used to represent quality.”
Joan Salge Blake, a professor of nutrition at Boston University and the host of the Spot On Podcast, explained that consumers often “interpreted” these dates and “inadvertently throwing good food into the trash can.”
“Salger Black said:” This caused Americans to throw about one-third of the food they purchased, and wasted more than $ 160 billion in foods that could be safe. She believes that the chaos of the use date is making consumers pay for and causes damage to the environment.
Why is there a date of use?
Chef Chris Hughes said that before the 1970s, some food manufacturers used an opaque system to mark the packaging so that they could know when an item expired. However, the public cannot decipher this system, and consumers require more transparency in food safety. “Hughes said:” In theory, this will reduce the number of super -quality foods sold.
The result is not the case. In fact, more foods are wasted on food use on food. Walentuck said that there are amazing 40%of food in the United States today. “One key reason is the chaos caused by the” best consumption period ‘,’ use period ‘and’ sales period ‘label. “
What does the date of use mean?
In the United States, there are three types of dates that consumers see on food: the best food period, use period and sales period. It is not very common that consumers may see the expiration date marked on food.
According to Walentuck, the best date and use date “represents the estimation of the manufacturer’s taste and texture of its food”. She warns that these dates cannot tell consumers any information about whether food is safe.
“As long as the cans look good, there are no depression, bulging or rust. These dates are particularly misleading when involving shelf life foods. For example, the can can last for many years after the indication date.
The best purchase date represents the “best flavor or quality of the best flavor or quality” of the manufacturer, and it most often appears on biscuits and potato chips and other products. Valentuk explained. “She added:” Even if some kind of food in your home has passed the best date, but if it is stored and handled properly, it should be safe.
The date of use is the same as the best use date, but more accurate. This is “the final use of the product in the best quality state according to the suggestion of the manufacturer”, Walentuck said. She explained: “Although this is not always black and white, it is best to insist on using this date for products like meat.”
“But for products like dairy products,” she added, “Your slightly sour milk does not always need to enter the sewer.”
The sale date tells the retailer “how long it takes for the goods to be placed, but it does not mean when the food will deteriorate,” Valentuk said. The sales date most often appears in eggs, dairy products and meat products. “She said:” Usually, the product can be eaten a few days, weeks, or even months after these dates, which depends on the situation of the product.
However, when the expiration date is involved, consumers should be more cautious: according to Walentuck, the expiration date does indicate when the product will be bad. Baby formula milk powder and baby food are the most common items.
How do consumers judge whether food has deteriorated?
Volontok said that because the best edible date, use date, and sales date cannot tell consumers whether their food can be eaten safely, they should rely on their five senses to tell them whether the food has deteriorated. She suggested: “Use your best judgment to check whether there are signs of deterioration.” Walentuck recommends checking food to see if it has mold. “Different from your expected texture”, “not right” or “unpleasant taste”.
Walentuck explained that if the food does not show signs of deterioration, then if you eat foods that exceed the marking date, it is likely that no bad things will happen. However, “eating spoiled food is not only unhappy, but also dangerous, giving you the risk of food poisoning,” she said, in order to determine, the food that has been checked after the use date is a good idea.
“Black said:” Use your nose and eyes to determine whether the food is deteriorated. “If you have any questions, throw it away.”