The vague metric is set by manufacturers to ensure that the customer tastes their food at its best and comes back for more. Some food items have regulated expiration dates for safety reasons, while others such as canned foods, eggs, and frozen dinners can be perfectly safe to eat. Experts suggest that the US government could regulate and standardize the wording used on food labels, which could prevent an estimated 398,000 tons of food waste annually.
- 00:00:00 In this section, it is revealed that expiration dates on food labels are often misunderstood, leading to a massive amount of food waste. Most of these dates have nothing to do with food safety regulations or expiration dates. Instead, the vague metric is set by manufacturers to ensure that the customer tastes their food at its best and comes back for more. Food items such as canned foods, eggs, and frozen dinners can be perfectly safe to eat. However, ready-to-eat salads, deli meats, unpasteurized cheeses, and infant formula have regulated expiration dates for safety reasons. Experts suggest that the US government could regulate and standardize the wording used on food labels, which could prevent an estimated 398,000 tons of food waste annually.
