Are you confused by food label terms like “Sell By,” “Use By” and “Best By?” If so, you aren’t alone. Federal regulators would also like a little clarity.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have jointly filed a Request for Information (RFI) about food date labeling, which includes the use of terms such as “Sell By,” “Use By” and “Best By.”
The RFI asks for information about industry practices and preferences for date labeling, research results on consumer perceptions of date labeling and any impact date labeling may have on food waste and grocery costs.
The RFI asks questions about which products carry date labels, the criteria for choosing specific phrases, and how consumers interpret these dates. A key concern is whether consumers mistakenly believe these dates indicate food safety rather than quality, potentially leading to unnecessary food waste.
The agencies said they hope to gather data on how these labels influence shopping and food disposal decisions and their connection to household expenses.
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the FDA oversee the U.S. food supply, ensuring that food labels are accurate and not misleading. The information from the RFI could guide future policies, educational campaigns, and strategies to reduce food waste by helping consumers make informed decisions.
Confusion may lead to waste
"It has been estimated that confusion over the multitude of different date labeling terms on food products accounts for about 20% of food waste in the home,” said FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones. “The information collected will help us understand consumers' perception of terms like 'Sell By,' 'Use By' and 'Best By'."
The goal, Jones said, is to make it easier for consumers to know whether a food is still good to eat and avoid food waste.
"Food labels contain a wealth of information for consumers, including a food product's 'best if used by' date," said USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Emilio Esteban. "Through this Request for Information, we hope to learn more about how those date labels are determined and whether they confuse consumers and lead to needless food waste."
The information received by the two agencies will support the federal government’s strategy of cutting food waste by 50% by 2030, addressing environmental impacts and reducing costs for families. The USDA estimates that a typical family of four wastes $1,500 worth of food annually, while the EPA reports 66 million tons of food waste in 2019, much of which ended up in landfills.