Tag Archives: expiration dates

Dear Wasted Food Dude–Date Label Hell(p)

Here’s the latest installment of my food waste advice column, Dear Wasted Food Dude. The column will run on BioCycle‘s website and in BioCycle Food Recycling News, their fledgling e-bulletin that all “wasted foodies” should sign up for pronto! I will also crosspost the columns here on Wasted Food. One thing any advice column needs inquiries. That means you need […]

May 26, 2016 | Posted in Food Safety, Household, Leftovers, Legislation, Wasted Food Dude | Comments closed

Legislating Date Labels

America’s date label status quo has expired. Lack of a national standard on date labels combined with a jumble of state laws on the subject causes a jumble of confusing terms. A recent Harvard/Hopkins survey (PDF) documented the extent of that confusion. In that haze, we often throw out perfectly good food. That confusion causes […]

May 19, 2016 | Posted in Food Safety, Legislation | Comments closed

Required Watching: EXPIRED?

The Harvard Food Policy and Law Clinic (FLPC) just released a fabulous short film on date labels called EXPIRED? You can watch it below and don’t miss their stout op-ed in the LA Times. I’m pretty sure you won’t spend a better 5 minutes online today. EXPIRED? is part of a neat companion site with plenty of […]

February 11, 2016 | Posted in Campaigns, Food Safety, Household, Legislation | Comments closed

Could Bump Mark Debunk Date Labels?

If you’re like me, you love innovations that prevent food from being wasted and hate the inefficiency of expiration dates. That’s why I’m high on Bump Mark, an in-package fresh food indicator now in development. Solveiga Pakstaite, a recent university grad in Britain, created Bump Mark after winning the James Dyson Award to do so. As you […]

January 28, 2015 | Posted in Food Safety, Household, International | Comments closed

“Best” Make Some Changes

The NRDC and Harvard Law School released an excellent, in-depth report on date labels today. The Dating Game is required reading for anyone trying to make sense of the expiration dates. The report details the current situation with date labels, and it’s a grim one. There’s no consistency in terminology; instead it’s a jumble of […]

September 18, 2013 | Posted in General | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

I’d be more excited about freezers that can detect expiration dates if those dates meant anything! With perishables, date labels speak to quality not safety. And they are basically meaningless for frozen food. — — Want some fraud with that food waste? Then talk to these two Edmonds, Wash., food service workers. — — World […]

June 14, 2013 | Posted in Friday Buffet, International, School | Comments closed

Monday Buffet

If you’re in the mood for some startling food waste stats on a Monday morning, look no further than this piece gleaning some shockers from the recent FAO report. — — And here’s a followup from that same FAO world waste study–a report on post-harvest losses in sub-Saharan Africa. — — MSNBC weighed in with this piece on […]

June 6, 2011 | Posted in Household, International, School | Comments closed

Expiration Dates Debunked

There’s a good amount of discussion on whether expiration dates are bogus. I’m sure you can guess where I stand on the topic. My dismissal of most expiration dates stems from personal experience and knowing how much caution is built into those dates. Still, it’s nice to have the backing of some hard science mixed with journalistic […]

May 31, 2011 | Posted in Food Safety, International | Comments closed

Britain Bids Adieu to ‘Best Before’

Environment Minister Hilary Benn hinted at it when we spoke in 2009. One minister and two years later, it looks set to happen: The British government has advised food retailers to scrap some date labels because they cause confusion, and ultimately, waste. After consulting with food makers and sellers, the government has recommended that retailers phase […]

April 19, 2011 | Posted in International, Supermarket | Comments closed

Catching Up

I’m still getting mentally unpacked from a fabulous West Coast swing. (Thanks to all who came out to one event or another.) While I was away, I didn’t have the chance to pass along a link to this New York Times piece on expiration dates. It was neat to see such a major newspaper address […]

March 14, 2011 | Posted in Food Safety, Household, Personal | Comments closed