Do Expiration Dates Really Matter?

The Problem With Expiration Dates

A report conducted by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic, concluded Americans are prematurely throwing out their food. This is mainly due to confusion over what expiration dates mean or consumers are reading manufacturing dates on the packaging, which should not be visible to them. Unfortunately, a majority of consumers mistakenly believe expiration dates on food indicate the safety of the food when truthfully, these dates are not related to the risk of an individual getting food poisoning or a foodborne illness. According to the study, specific words such as ‘use by’ and ‘sell by’ are used inconsistently and are contributing to this misunderstanding and waste by consumers. Statistics show over ninety percent of Americans throw out food prematurely, and forty percent of the United States food supply is thrown out and unused annually due to food dating.

Still curious if expired food can make you sick or not? Continue reading to learn the truth now!