Similarly, California legislators took up the cause, proposing legislation to ban sell-by dates and add distinctions to clarify that “best if used by” was a quality indicator, while “use by” would denote food safety. The legislation was originally introduced by the same coalition in 2021 without success. On Tuesday, a bipartisan and bicameral trio – Representatives Dan Newhouse, of Washington, and Chellie Pingree, of Maine, and Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut – again took aim at the issue and reintroduced the “Food Date Labeling Act”, a bill that would create a national standard around the labels.
“You should feel like as long as it tastes and smells good and you enjoy it, you can eat it.” With one easy-to-grasp quality-based date, consumers could better discern when something will be at its best without adding on fears of getting sick.
But the labels themselves, Broad Leib said, “are meant to be liberating”. So, now the challenge is ensuring broader understanding of the labels – and a more standardized system. “Consumers really want this and they demand it,” she said, adding that as people are increasingly far-removed from food production, there are concerns over not knowing how long something might last. There have also been moves to try to push out the labels entirely, but consumer advocacy groups quickly rebuked the idea. “No two states have the same rules which means they are clearly not based in science.” These dates generally refer to when a product will have the best flavor or quality or when to sell the product by and are not related to safety of the food Dr Andrea GlennĪccording to Broad Leib, part of the study’s aim was to identify what labels would work best if they were applied more broadly. “This is an indicator that the current system is misleading consumers,” said Emily Broad Leib, the director of Food Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School and one of the researchers behind the study, noting that an absent federal standard has only amplified confusion and misuse. The same study found that more than a third also believed the dates were federally regulated, with an additional 26% reporting they were unsure. However, an overwhelming majority of Americans still rely on the dates for food safety decisions.Ī study published in 2019 that relied on surveys of more than a thousand people across the US found that 84% have tossed a food because the date marked on the package had passed. Odd or off odor, flavor, color or texture are better indicators of potential danger.
It’s far more useful instead to look for signs of spoilage. “These dates generally refer to when a product will have the best flavor or quality or when to sell the product by and are not related to safety of the food,” she said. She notes that both a global food system where products travel farther, and food handling practices can play a larger role in food safety. “There is nothing concrete for these dates related to food-borne illness,” said Dr Andrea Glenn, a postdoctoral research fellow and registered dietitian at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. All rights reserved.Sicknesses associated with mold and bacteria found on bad food can be serious and the fears are warranted, but the labels do little to ward off risks, experts say. Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd.
0 kommentar(er)
