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

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

含羞草研究社淭hey read these dates and then they assume that it含羞草研究社檚 bad, they can含羞草研究社檛 eat it and they toss it, when these dates don含羞草研究社檛 actually mean that they含羞草研究社檙e not edible or they含羞草研究社檙e not still nutritious or tasty,含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檚 and Marks & Spencer recently removed 含羞草研究社渂est before含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檚 considering abolishing 含羞草研究社渂est before含羞草研究社� labels altogether.

In the U.S., there含羞草研究社檚 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.

含羞草研究社淚 do think that the level of support for this has grown tremendously,含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社� including the water, land and labor that goes into the food production 含羞草研究社� and higher greenhouse gas emissions when unwanted food goes into landfills.

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

Date labels were widely adopted by manufacturers in the 1970s to answer consumers含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社渦se by含羞草研究社� date in the U.S.

Since 2019, the Food and Drug Administration 含羞草研究社� which regulates around 80% of U.S. food 含羞草研究社� has recommended that manufacturers use the labels 含羞草研究社渂est if used by含羞草研究社� for freshness and 含羞草研究社渦se by含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社渟ell by含羞草研究社� to 含羞草研究社渆njoy by含羞草研究社� to 含羞草研究社渇reshest before.含羞草研究社� 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.

含羞草研究社淢ost people believe that if it says 含羞草研究社榮ell by,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社榖est by含羞草研究社� or 含羞草研究社榚xpiration,含羞草研究社� you can含羞草研究社檛 eat any of them. That含羞草研究社檚 not actually accurate,含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社渦se by含羞草研究社� date. Gunders said canned goods and many other packaged foods can be safely eaten for years after their 含羞草研究社渂est before含羞草研究社� date. The FDA suggests consumers look for changes in color, consistency or texture to determine if foods are all right to eat.

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

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

It含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檚 easy to see that it含羞草研究社檚 fresh.

含羞草研究社淭he last thing we need to be doing is wasting more food and money because it has a label on it telling us it含羞草研究社檚 past being good for eating,含羞草研究社� 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.

含羞草研究社淲e have had dates on those packages for the last 20 years or so. Why fix it when it含羞草研究社檚 not broken?含羞草研究社� Wetrov said.

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

含羞草研究社淯niformity makes it much more simple for our companies to manufacture products and keep the prices lower,含羞草研究社� said Katie Denis, the association含羞草研究社檚 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 含羞草研究社渟ell by含羞草研究社� dates on shellfish and dairy, and Arizona requires 含羞草研究社渂est by含羞草研究社� or 含羞草研究社渦se by含羞草研究社� 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.

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

含羞草研究社擠ee-ann Durbin, The Associated Press