The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced their intention to gather insights on food date labeling through a joint Request for Information (RFI) on December 3, 2024. This initiative aims to address the terms 'Sell By', 'Use By', and 'Best By', fostering clarity, transparency, and potentially significant cost savings for American consumers.
The RFI is reaching out to the public to understand current industry practices surrounding date labels, consumer perceptions, and how these labels relate to food waste and grocery expenses. Specifically, they seek to gain insights on which food products bear these date labels, the criteria for choosing specific phrases, and the influence these dates have on consumer behavior when shopping or deciding when to discard food. There’s growing concern and curiosity among officials about the level of confusion these labels cause among shoppers, particularly when consumers equate the dates with safety rather than quality.
According to the agencies, confusion over the various date labeling terms may significantly contribute to food waste. FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones highlighted this issue, estimating around 20% of food waste at home stems from this confusion. “The information collected will help us understand consumers' perception of terms like 'Sell By,' 'Use By,' and 'Best By,'” he stated. The hope is to utilize this feedback to inform future policies and educational efforts to help consumers make more informed decisions about food freshness and safety.
USDA's Under Secretary for Food Safety, Dr. Emilio Esteban, added, “Food labels contain a wealth of information for consumers, including food product's 'best if used by' date. 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.”
This latest action is part of broader efforts aligned with the National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics, highlighted by the FDA, USDA, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier this year. The agencies aim to reach the national goal of cutting food loss and waste by half, directed at 2030.
Statistics reveal startling figures about food waste: The USDA estimates families toss out approximately $1,500 worth of food annually due to confusion surrounding these date labels. The EPA noted 66 million tons of wasted food generated across the retail, food service, and residential sectors back in 2019, with around 60% of this waste winding up in landfills.
The National Strategy sets forth several objectives to bolster efforts against food waste, which includes preventing loss and ensuring the recycling of organic waste. Following the draft strategy's release, FDA and USDA were met with substantial public feedback—over 9,800 comments encouraging updates to federal date labeling requirements were received, advocating for standardized labeling.
Commenters pointed out the inconsistent terms used by food manufacturers, like 'Sell By', 'Use By', and 'Best By', which may lead consumers to dispose of food prematurely. The RFI seeks to explore these issues and gather relevant feedback from stakeholders. The FDA and USDA currently advise applying the 'Best if Used By' label, indicating the product remains safe to consume beyond this date, albeit with reduced quality.
While the agencies encourage the 'Best if Used By' label, they also recognize current federal regulations don’t prohibit companies from utilizing the alternative phrases, as long as they're truthful and not misleading. The RFI poses 13 specific questions for commenters to respond to and provides 60 days for the public to submit their insights.
Further information on how to submit comments can be found on the Federal Register's site. This initiative reflects the agencies' commitment to ensuring consumers are equipped with the correct information, facilitating informed decisions about food usage and waste—critical steps toward minimizing environmental impact and household waste.
Food labeling policies are imperative to guidance on safety and quality. Through this RFI, the FDA and USDA hope not only to clarify existing practices but also to craft informed strategies moving forward. Consumers play a pivotal role as partners with regulatory agencies, as their insights can elucidate the fundamental challenges around food date labels.