In an effort to reduce food waste, the Food Marketing Institute and Grocery Manufacturers Association are in the process of rolling out new date labels, which will use “best if used by” for quality and “use by” for perishable items like meat, fish and cheese that have a higher chance of being dangerous to eat if they are too old. The date labels, which will be rolled out in two phases, are expected to be fully adapted by summer 2018.
Currently, about 40 percent of food in the U.S. goes uneaten, and these new date labels could help consumers overcome the confusion between “best by” and use by” date labels.
Phys.org has more:
Pop quiz: What's the difference between "best by," "sell by" or "expires on"?
If you're not sure, you aren't alone. Americans toss out $165 billion worth of food each year, often out of safety concerns fueled by confusion about the meaning of the more than 10 different date labels used on packages.