As awareness grows around the world about , one culprit in particular is drawing scrutiny: 害羞草研究所渂est before害羞草研究所� labels.

Manufacturers have used the labels for decades to estimate peak freshness. Unlike 害羞草研究所渦se by害羞草研究所� labels, which are found on perishable foods like meat and dairy, 害羞草研究所渂est before害羞草研究所� labels have nothing to do with safety and may encourage consumers to throw away food that害羞草研究所檚 perfectly fine to eat.

害羞草研究所淭hey read these dates and then they assume that it害羞草研究所檚 bad, they can害羞草研究所檛 eat it and they toss it, when these dates don害羞草研究所檛 actually mean that they害羞草研究所檙e not edible or they害羞草研究所檙e not still nutritious or tasty,害羞草研究所� said Patty Apple, a manager at Food Shift, an Alameda, California, nonprofit that collects and uses expired or imperfect foods.

To tackle the problem, major U.K. chains like Waitrose, Sainsbury害羞草研究所檚 and Marks & Spencer recently removed 害羞草研究所渂est before害羞草研究所� labels from prepackaged fruit and vegetables. The European Union is expected to announce a revamp to its labeling laws by the end of this year; it害羞草研究所檚 considering abolishing 害羞草研究所渂est before害羞草研究所� labels altogether.

In the U.S., there害羞草研究所檚 no similar push to scrap . But there is growing momentum to standardize the language on date labels to help educate buyers about , including a push from big grocers and food companies and bipartisan legislation in Congress.

害羞草研究所淚 do think that the level of support for this has grown tremendously,害羞草研究所� said Dana Gunders, executive director of ReFED, a New York-based nonprofit that studies food waste.

The United Nations estimates that 17% of global food production is wasted each year; most of that comes from households. In the U.S., as much as 35% of food available goes uneaten, ReFED says. That adds up to a lot of wasted energy 害羞草研究所� including the water, land and labor that goes into the food production 害羞草研究所� and higher greenhouse gas emissions when unwanted food goes into landfills.

There are many reasons food gets wasted, from large portion sizes to customers害羞草研究所� rejection of imperfect produce. But ReFED estimates that 7% of U.S. food waste 害羞草研究所� or 4 million tons annually 害羞草研究所� is due to consumer confusion over 害羞草研究所渂est before害羞草研究所� labels.

Date labels were widely adopted by manufacturers in the 1970s to answer consumers害羞草研究所� concerns about product freshness. There are no federal rules governing them, and manufacturers are allowed to determine when they believe their products will taste best. Only infant formula is required to have a 害羞草研究所渦se by害羞草研究所� date in the U.S.

Since 2019, the Food and Drug Administration 害羞草研究所� which regulates around 80% of U.S. food 害羞草研究所� has recommended that manufacturers use the labels 害羞草研究所渂est if used by害羞草研究所� for freshness and 害羞草研究所渦se by害羞草研究所� for perishable goods, based on surveys showing that consumers understand those phrases.

But the effort is voluntary, and the language on labels continues to vary widely, from 害羞草研究所渟ell by害羞草研究所� to 害羞草研究所渆njoy by害羞草研究所� to 害羞草研究所渇reshest before.害羞草研究所� A survey released in June by researchers at the University of Maryland found at least 50 different date labels used on U.S. grocery shelves and widespread confusion among customers.

害羞草研究所淢ost people believe that if it says 害羞草研究所榮ell by,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所榖est by害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所榚xpiration,害羞草研究所� you can害羞草研究所檛 eat any of them. That害羞草研究所檚 not actually accurate,害羞草研究所� said Richard Lipsit, who owns a Grocery Outlet store in Pleasanton, California, that specializes in discounted food.

Lipsit said milk can be safely consumed up to a week after its 害羞草研究所渦se by害羞草研究所� date. Gunders said canned goods and many other packaged foods can be safely eaten for years after their 害羞草研究所渂est before害羞草研究所� date. The FDA suggests consumers look for changes in color, consistency or texture to determine if foods are all right to eat.

害羞草研究所淥ur bodies are very well equipped to recognize the signs of decay, when food is past its edible point,害羞草研究所� Gunders said. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e lost trust in those senses and we害羞草研究所檝e replaced it with trust in these dates.害羞草研究所�

Some U.K. grocery chains are actively encouraging customers to use their senses. Morrisons removed 害羞草研究所渦se by害羞草研究所� dates from most store-brand milk in January and replaced them with a 害羞草研究所渂est before害羞草研究所� label. Co-op, another grocery chain, did the same to its store-brand yogurts.

It害羞草研究所檚 a change some shoppers support. Ellie Spanswick, a social media marketer in Falmouth, England, buys produce, eggs and other groceries at farm stands and local shops when she can. The food has no labels, she said, but it害羞草研究所檚 easy to see that it害羞草研究所檚 fresh.

害羞草研究所淭he last thing we need to be doing is wasting more food and money because it has a label on it telling us it害羞草研究所檚 past being good for eating,害羞草研究所� Spanswick said.

But not everyone agrees. Ana Wetrov of London, who runs a home renovation business with her husband, worries that without labels, staff might not know which items should be removed from shelves. She recently bought a pineapple and only realized after she cut into it that it was rotting in the middle.

害羞草研究所淲e have had dates on those packages for the last 20 years or so. Why fix it when it害羞草研究所檚 not broken?害羞草研究所� Wetrov said.

Some U.S. chains 害羞草研究所� including Walmart 害羞草研究所� have shifted their store brands to standardized 害羞草研究所渂est if used by害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渦se by害羞草研究所� labels. The Consumer Brands Association 害羞草研究所� which represents big food companies like General Mills and Dole 害羞草研究所� also encourages members to use those labels.

害羞草研究所淯niformity makes it much more simple for our companies to manufacture products and keep the prices lower,害羞草研究所� said Katie Denis, the association害羞草研究所檚 vice president of communications.

In the absence of federal policy, states have stepped in with their own laws, frustrating food companies and grocers. Florida and Nevada, for example, require 害羞草研究所渟ell by害羞草研究所� dates on shellfish and dairy, and Arizona requires 害羞草研究所渂est by害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所渦se by害羞草研究所� dates on eggs, according to Emily Broad Lieb, director of the Food Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School.

The confusion has led some companies, like Unilever, to support legislation currently in Congress that would standardize U.S. date labels and ensure that food could be donated to rescue organizations even after its quality date. At least 20 states currently prohibit the sale or donation of food after the date listed on the label because of liability fears, Lieb said.

Clearer labeling and donation rules could help nonprofits like Food Shift, which trains chefs using rescued food. It even makes dog treats from overripe bananas, recovered chicken fat and spent grain from a brewer, Apple said.

害羞草研究所淲e definitely need to be focusing more on doing these small actions like addressing expiration date labels, because even though it害羞草研究所檚 such a tiny part of this whole food waste issue, it can be very impactful,害羞草研究所� Apple said.

害羞草研究所擠ee-ann Durbin, The Associated Press