Refrigerated Frozen Foods logo
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
  • COLD STORAGE
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • MEDIA
  • DIRECTORIES
  • RESOURCES
  • EMAG
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Industry News
  • People News
  • Supplier News
  • Technology Showcase
  • PRODUCTS
  • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
  • Case Studies
  • Food Safety
  • Packaging
  • Supply Chain & Logistics
  • Sustainable Solutions for Cold Foods
  • COLD STORAGE
  • DEVELOPMENTS & TRENDS
  • FARM TO FROZEN
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • Best New Retail Products
  • Cold Storage Facility of the Year
  • Processor of the Year
  • State of the Industry
  • Top 150 Frozen Food Processors
  • Editor's Blog
  • MEDIA
  • Podcasts
  • Polls
  • Photo Galleries
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • Video Spotlights
  • White Paper eBlasts
  • Case Study eBlasts
  • DIRECTORIES
  • Cold Storage Construction Guide
  • Warehouse Guide
  • Food Master
  • Directory of Associations
  • RESOURCES
  • Calendar of Events
  • Food Automation & Manufacturing (FA&M) Conference & Expo
  • eNewsletter
  • Cool Word of the Week
  • Nominations for RFF Awards
  • Expert Columns
  • Partners
  • Classifieds
  • R&FF Store
  • Market Research
  • Custom Content & Marketing Services
  • EMAG
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issues
  • Advertise
Refrigerated Frozen Foods logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Refrigerated Frozen Foods logo
  • NEWS
    • Industry News
    • People News
    • Supplier News
    • Technology Showcase
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Case Studies
    • Food Safety
    • Packaging
    • Supply Chain & Logistics
    • Sustainable Solutions for Cold Foods
  • COLD STORAGE
    • DEVELOPMENTS & TRENDS
    • FARM TO FROZEN
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Best New Retail Products
    • Cold Storage Facility of the Year
    • Processor of the Year
    • State of the Industry
    • Top 150 Frozen Food Processors
    • Editor's Blog
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • Video Spotlights
    • White Paper eBlasts
    • Case Study eBlasts
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Cold Storage Construction Guide
    • Warehouse Guide
    • Food Master
    • Directory of Associations
  • RESOURCES
    • Calendar of Events
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing (FA&M) Conference & Expo
    • eNewsletter
    • Cool Word of the Week
    • Nominations for RFF Awards
    • Expert Columns
    • Partners
    • Classifieds
    • R&FF Store
    • Market Research
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Food SafetyExpert ColumnsPackaging

No Time to Waste: Why Grocery Stores are Removing ‘Best By’ Dates

Food image.jpeg

Confusion surrounding packaging food labels, is often cited as a contributor to food waste across the country. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) statistics show the average American household wastes up to 40% of their food each year. Photo: Adobe iStock

October 17, 2022

By Charles Haverfield

Across the U.S., new voluntary industry standards for food date labelling have recently been adopted. Under this system, “use-by” dates are applied to foods as a “deadline” when a food will then present a high food poisoning risk. 

“Best before” dates, on the other hand, indicate food quality and recommend when a product’s taste and texture will be at their best.

However, it seems many consumers have different interpretations of these labels and studies show more than 80% don’t understand them. Research has also repeatedly found that many consumers mix the two terms up, throwing away food as soon as it reaches its “best-before” date, because they think it is unsafe to eat after this.

Charles_HaverfieldHeadshot_2022.jpgCharles Haverfield

Confusion surrounding packaging food labels, is often cited as a contributor to food waste across the country. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) statistics show the average American household wastes up to 40% of their food each year.

Fortunately, it seems global grocery stores are making strides to try to eliminate customer confusion. Most recently, Aldi UK confirmed the removal of best-before dates from around 60 of its fresh fruit and vegetable lines. Many other UK supermarkets already have a similar scheme in place or are following suit. There’s no need to refer to a label when you can use your own senses to decide whether an item is still edible. In fact, another UK supermarket, Morrisons, is asking customers to use the time honored “sniff test” to check whether its cow’s milk is still drinkable.

The idea is less food will be thrown away because consumers will be using their own judgment to determine whether goods are still fine to eat. This is not necessarily a new approach. But it may well become more common internationally as retailers seek ways to appropriately respond to food waste. 

So, will this trend start to appear in the U.S.? 

Currently, there is no federal law on date labels for food other than baby formula, meaning a puzzling mishmash of different state laws and guidance. However, a 2013 study by Harvard and subsequent research suggests standardized legislation could save around 398,000 tons of food waste, or the economic value of about $1.8 billion.

Federal agencies, trade groups and even politicians are urging businesses to stop using a variety of labels with unclear meanings—from “enjoy by” to “expires on”—and instead create common standards. 

While we wait to see if changes occur, U.S. consumers wanting to reduce their household waste, should consider they don’t need to eat food before its “best-before” date. After the date, the quality of the food may change, but it can still be safe to eat. 

Re-evaluating how you store food items at home can be beneficial. If you already do a lot of freezing or bulk-purchasing to help cut costs and waste, it might also be worth adding a vacuum sealing method to this process. Typically used for commercial food preservation, it can be adopted on a smaller scale at home too. You can either buy a mini vacuum sealer, which retails for around $25, or there is a simple DIY method using a ziploc freezer bag and a bowl of water. 

The extended storage time for vacuum sealed foods is impressive and can make it last up to 5 times longer. For example, cheese like parmesan, Swiss and cheddar can remain fresh for 4-6 months, vegetables like lettuce and spinach for two weeks and cooked chicken for around 2 weeks when vacuum sealed.

Finally, when in doubt about a food item, there are plenty of online resources that can give you general guidelines for how long certain foods might be edible after their label dates when stored properly. 

They can also provide general food safety knowledge and what to look out for with food textures, color changes, smells, and other factors to correctly determine if a product is fit to eat.



Charles Haverfield is CEO of U.S. Packaging and Wrapping.

 

KEYWORDS: food waste packaging materials packaging solutions

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • shoppers in the frozen aisle

    Cold & Frozen Foods Trends to Watch in ‘24

    Convenience, affordability and diverse flavors will be...
    Industry News
    By: Kelley Rodriguez
  • FromtheColdCorner_MikeBever.jpg

    Tillamook’s New Illinois Ice Cream Plant is Full of Firsts

    Site solely dedicated to ice cream and first owned and...
    Industry News
    By: Kelley Rodriguez
  • Interstate Warehousing AZ

    Cold Storage Roadmap

    2023 was a banner year for the U.S. cold storage market....
    Packaging
    By: Kelley Rodriguez
close

1 COMPLIMENTARY ARTICLE(S) LEFT

Loader

Already a Registered User? Sign in now.

Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine
  • Manage My Preferences
  • What’s Hot in Cold eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Customer Service

Farm to Frozen: Top Articles and Final Thoughts

Farm to Frozen: Top Articles and Final Thoughts

EPR, Plastic Packaging for Cold Foods and More

EPR, Plastic Packaging for Cold Foods and More

Cold Storage Coming in 2025

Cold Storage Coming in 2025

More Videos

Popular Stories

MRS_Belvidere_LAC-1920w.jpg

Midwest Refrigerated Services Opens Distribution Center, Optimizing Lactalis’ Network

New-Product-VOTE-2025-1170x658.jpg

Final Days to Vote for Best New Retail Products 2025

CORE X CROWN Exterior 2.jpg

CORE X CROWN Celebrates Opening of Indiana Cold Storage Site

Cool Word of the Week

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Cool Word of the Week puzzle is a word-guessing game that gives players a limited number of attempts to decode a hidden word.


PLAY NOW!

Events

October 18, 2025

NFRA Convention 2025

The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention isn’t just your typical industry meeting.

January 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Water Activity in Foods: Fundamentals and Applications, 2nd Edition

Water Activity in Foods: Fundamentals and Applications, 2nd Edition

See More Products
New Retail Products

Explore the newest flavors, textures, and innovations in the frozen food aisle!


SEE WHAT'S NEW!

Related Articles

  • JDA Software Matt Butler headshot

    Why AS/RS are critical to your warehouse operation

    See More
  • Eggs Sunny Side Up Breakfast Sausage Plated

    New Survey by Bob Evans Reveals Americans are Time Crunched for Breakfast

    See More
  • default-recycling.jpg

    Retail Business Services commits to removing artificial ingredients from private brands by 2025

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 1119700825.jpg

    Use of Hydrocolloids to Control Food Appearance, Flavor, Texture, and Nutrition

  • M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\RFF\operations-in-food.gif

    Operations in Food Refrigeration

  • food book.jpg

    Validating Preventive Food Safety and Quality Controls 1st Edition

See More Products
×

Elevate your expertise in refrigerated and frozen foods with unparalleled insights and connections.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Service
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBLITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Refrigerated Frozen Foods logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Refrigerated Frozen Foods logo
  • NEWS
    • Industry News
    • People News
    • Supplier News
    • Technology Showcase
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Case Studies
    • Food Safety
    • Packaging
    • Supply Chain & Logistics
    • Sustainable Solutions for Cold Foods
  • COLD STORAGE
    • DEVELOPMENTS & TRENDS
    • FARM TO FROZEN
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Best New Retail Products
    • Cold Storage Facility of the Year
    • Processor of the Year
    • State of the Industry
    • Top 150 Frozen Food Processors
    • Editor's Blog
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • Video Spotlights
    • White Paper eBlasts
    • Case Study eBlasts
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Cold Storage Construction Guide
    • Warehouse Guide
    • Food Master
    • Directory of Associations
  • RESOURCES
    • Calendar of Events
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing (FA&M) Conference & Expo
    • eNewsletter
    • Cool Word of the Week
    • Nominations for RFF Awards
    • Expert Columns
    • Partners
    • Classifieds
    • R&FF Store
    • Market Research
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!