BASSETERRE St. Kitts – MANY people are becoming more confused with the frequent terms found on food packaging labels such as “sell by”, “use by”, and “best before”, which has led to a high volume of food wastage around the world, including the Caribbean.
In a recent release published by co-author of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic, more people are tossing foods because “they misinterpret food labels as indicators of food safety”.
Dana Gunders, NRDC staff scientist with the food and agriculture programme, said: “Expiration dates are in need of some serious myth-busting because they’re leading us to waste money and throw out perfectly good food, along with all of the resources that went into growing it.”
In a release found on thegrio.com, Gunders noted that phrases such as “sell by”, “use by”, and “best before” are misinterpreted and lead to a false confidence in food safety.
“Sell by December 24 is a type of information you might find on a food product. Are dates required on food products? Does it mean the product will be unsafe to use after that date?” she said.
SKNVibes understands that there are two dating Categories that exist in the food industry, namely “Open Dating” and “Closed or Coded Dating”.
“The ‘Open Dating’ uses a calendar date as opposed to a code and helps the store determine how long to display the product for sale. It also helps you know the time limit to purchase or use the product at its best quality. It is not a safety date. After the date passes, while it may not be of best quality, refrigerated products should still be safe if handled properly and kept at 40°F (4.4ºC) or below for the recommended storage times listed on the Refrigerator/Freezer Storage Chart.”
The release further noted that with ‘Open Dating’, there must be a phrase such as ‘sell by’, or “use by” to explain the meaning of the date. You’ll find ‘Open Dating’ primarily on perishable foods such as meat and dairy products like milk and yogurt.
While the ‘Closed or Coded Dating’ is packing numbers found primarily on shelf stable products like cans of soup and boxes of macaroni and cheese.
It was explained that the ‘sell by’ date is a frequent tool for stock control, “suggesting when the grocery store should no longer sell products in order to ensure the products still have shelf life after you purchase them”.
And the ‘best buy’, if used by date, is “recommended by the manufacturer for best flavor or quality. It is not an accurate date of spoiling or an indication that food is unsafe. Even if the ‘best’, if used by date has passed, your food should be safe if stored and handled properly”.
On the other hand, ‘use by’ date’ is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product and is not a safety date.
Even if the ‘use by’ or ‘sell by’ date has not passed, foods that are mishandled can be contaminated by food borne bacteria that can cause illness.
The release urges consumers that “when in doubt, throw it away”.