From time to time, everyone encounters a can of tomatoes, a loaf of bread, or a quart of milk that is well past its best buy date, yet still occupies shelf space at the grocery store. While it might invoke a little bit of ire that the store is still selling such items, this practice is more common than you might think. This is because there are no federal laws that dictate when a grocer must remove it from its shelf for purchase. In fact, the only foods that cannot be sold past their expiration date are baby formula and baby food.
According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), adding a “best if used by,” “freeze by date,” “sell by” or a “use by” date is more of a courtesy for consumers and is more focused on quality, not safety. Companies that are governed by FSIS do not legally have to add these calendar dates to the packaging. If they elect to do so, the information only has to be accurate. Providing expiration dates for meat, poultry, and egg products is done on a voluntary basis by producers, and it’s just an approximation, not an exact science. This gets to the heart of why you may want to stop throwing out expired food.
Use your senses to check groceries
It’s estimated that when it comes to food waste, approximately 30% of the food supply is destroyed because of consumers find “sell by” and “best by” food dates frustrating and confusing. That’s a lot of potential burgers, chicken nuggets, fruits, veggies, and other favorite foods that end up thrown away, or worse, become a nice treat for rodents that might treat your trash can as fast food dining. The United Nations’ advice for minimizing food waste and clearing up any confusion buyers might have around these labels includes buying “seconds,” or food that is discounted for reasons of appearance (such as misshapen or discolored), ordering less when getting takeout, and composting or donating unused food.
Is it safe to buy food that is past its best used by date? Generally speaking, it probably is. However, when it comes to discerning if something is well past its prime, you should use your senses and look for signs of spoilage. If a can is bulging, its contents smell, the texture is slimy, or something looks like it is growing or floating in it, it’s time to part ways.
