Why states want to change 'Sell By' labels on food

Amna Nawaz:

In at least one state, changes are coming to the commonly used sell-by dates on groceries.

Geoff Bennett:

PBS News multiplatform reporter Tim McPhillips spoke to two experts to get their take on the food labels and how you can save both your food and your money.

Tim McPhillips:

Are sell-by dates on groceries past their prime? California became the first state to ban public facing sell-by dates at the start of July. And other states are following close behind. Why? Well, we have all been there at the grocery store buying bread, or looking in the fridge hoping your chicken is still good.

So you check the date. But what that means is anyone's guess, sell by, enjoy by, freeze by, best by, used by, best if used by. What in the world?

Sara Burnett, Executive Director, ReFED:

Date labels are really confusing today.

Tim McPhillips:

It turns out sell-by dates weren't meant for us.

Sara Burnett:

A sell-by date is actually meant for the retailer. It's not actually an indicator for the consumer of consumer safety or anything else around the product.

Tim McPhillips:

Enter California's new law.

Sara Burnett:

What it did was really simplify date labels. There's over 50 currently in the marketplace, and simplify those down to two very specific terms.

Tim McPhillips:

So what will Californians see?

Sara Burnett:

You're going to see two separate labels. One is best if used by, and that's for quality. And then there's going to be use by date, and that is for safety. You should use it by that date. If not, it should be composted or thrown in the trash.

Tim McPhillips:

In New York state, a similar law is awaiting Governor Kathy Hochul's signature.

Sara Burnett:

There's multiple other states with very similar policies out there, including Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, and many others.

Tim McPhillips:

Why standardize food labeling?

Sara Burnett:

It seems innocuous.

Tim McPhillips:

But:

Sara Burnett:

Date label confusion contributes to about 3.5 million tons of food going to waste. That has a economic value of about $19 billion.

Tim McPhillips:

The consequences are twofold, Burnett says. Good food doesn't get donated, and our landfills fill up with more waste.

Food waste in America is a major issue. According to the USDA, 31 percent of all food from farm to store to plate is wasted, 31 percent.

Sara Burnett:

That is walking out of the grocery store and you have three bags of groceries, you only put two in your trunk, one goes to the trash.

Tim McPhillips:

Simplifying food labels could help.

Sara Burnett:

We are -- the number one source of food waste in the United States is in our own homes, to the tune of about $750 worth of products that we dispose per person per year.

Tim McPhillips:

What else can we do to save our food and our money?

Carla Schwan, University of Georgia: Handling your food, storing your food, all of those things are super, super important, I would say as much or even more important than those dates on the package. You want to make sure your fridge is under 40 Fahrenheit, or, if you are freezing foods, then zero Fahrenheit.

Tim McPhillips:

And if something is past its date?

Carla Schwan:

Look for signs of potentially if there's visible mold, for example, or if they can is swollen, or there's a dent or something that is leaking out of the package.

Tim McPhillips:

But maybe don't give that old milk a taste.

Carla Schwan:

We are not good at all at detecting pathogens or microorganisms that could make you sick.

Tim McPhillips:

For PBS News, I'm Tim McPhillips.

Geoff Bennett:

And you can find much more of our coverage on that and other issues on our Web site and across all of our social media accounts.