florida listeria epidemic has so far resulted in at least one death, 22 hospitalizations and an ice cream reminder since January. Humans contract listeria, or listeriosis, infections by eating soil-contaminated food, undercooked meat, or raw or unpasteurized dairy products. Listeria can cause seizures, coma, miscarriage, and birth defects. And it’s the third root cause food poisoning deaths in the United States
Avoiding invisible food hazards is why people often check the dates on food packaging. And printed with the month and year is often one of the dizzying phrases: “best before”, “use before”, “best if used before”, “best if used before”, “guaranteed freshness until”, “freeze before”. and even a “born on” label applied to some beers.
People think of them as best before dates, or the date a food should go in the trash. But dates have little to do with when foods expire or become less safe to eat. I am microbiologist and public health researcherand I used molecular epidemiology study the spread of bacteria In food. A more scientifically-based product dating system could make it easier for people to tell which foods they can eat safely from those that could be unsafe.
Costly confusion
The United States Department of Agriculture reports that in 2020, the average American household spent 12% of income on food. But a lot of food is just thrown away, despite being perfectly safe to eat. The USDA Center for Economic Research reports that nearly 31% of all food available is never consumed. Historically high food prices make the waste problem all the more alarming.
The current food labeling system can be the source of much of the waste. The FDA reports consumer confusion around product dating labels is probably responsible for about 20% of the food wasted at home, costing about US$161 billion a year.
It makes sense to believe that date labels are there for security reasons, since the federal government enforces rules to include nutrition and ingredient information on food labels. Adopted in 1938 and continuously modified since, the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act requires food labels to inform consumers about the nutritional value and ingredients of packaged foods, including the amount of salt, sugar and fat they contain.
The dates on these food packages, however, are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Rather, they come from food producers. And they may not be based on the science of food safety.
For example, a food producer may consumer survey in a focus group to choose a best-before date six months after the product was manufactured, as 60% of the focus group members no longer liked the taste. Small manufacturers of a similar food could play the imitators and put the same date on their product.
More interpretations
One industry group, the Food Marketing Institute and Grocery Manufacturers Association, suggests that its members mark foods “best if used by” to indicate how long foods are safe to eat and “use by” to indicate when foods become unsafe. But the use of these more nuanced marks is voluntary. And while the recommendation is driven by a desire to reduce food waste, it’s not yet clear if this recommended change has had an impact.
A joint study of the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic and the National Resources Defense Council recommends the elimination of dates intended for consumers, citing potential confusion and waste. Instead, the research suggests that manufacturers and distributors use “production” or “packaging” dates, as well as “before sale” dates, aimed at supermarkets and other retailers. The dates would tell retailers how long a product will remain of high quality.
The FDA considers certain products “potentially hazardous foods” if they have characteristics that allow microbes to grow, like moisture and an abundance of nutrients that feed microbes. These foods include chicken, milk and sliced tomatoes, all of which have been linked to severe foodborne outbreaks. But there is currently no difference between the date labeling used on these foods and that used on more stable foods.
Scientific formula
Infant formula is the only food product whose expiry date is both government regulated and scientifically determined. It is regularly tested in the laboratory for contamination. But infant formulas also undergo nutritional testing to determine how long it takes for nutrients — especially protein — to break down. To prevent malnutrition in babies, the use-by date on formula indicates when it is no longer nutritious.
Nutrients in food are relatively easy to measure. The The FDA already does this regularly. The agency issues warnings to food producers when the nutrient content listed on their labels does not match what the FDA lab finds.
Microbial studies, like those that food safety researchers are working on, are also a science-based approach to meaningful date labeling on foods. In our lab, a microbial study may involve letting a perishable food spoil and measuring the amount of bacteria growing on it over time. Scientists are also doing another type of microbial study by observing how long it takes microbes like listeria reach dangerous levels after intentionally adding the microbes to food to observe what they do, noting details such as the amount of bacteria growing over time and when there is enough to cause illness.
Single consumers
Determining the shelf life of foods with scientific data on their nutrition and safety could significantly reduce waste and save money as foods become more expensive.
But without a uniform food dating system, consumers might trust their eyes and noses, deciding to throw out the fuzzy bread, the green cheese or the smelly bag of salad. People may also pay particular attention to dates in more perishable foods, such as deli meats, in which germs grow easily. They can also find advice on FoodSafety.gov.
