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Ministries Unlimited Thought For The Week (#1)

Did you know that food waste is a global concern?  Globally it accounts for 1.05 billion tons of food annually or 1 billion meals daily.  In the United States, 33% of all available food goes uneaten through loss or waste.  This accounts for 24% of our solid waste in landfills and 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.  Even with this overabundance of food, 13.5% of families were food insecure in 2023 in our country.  The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 aims to reduce the consumer and retail food waste by half by the year 2030.  Consumer education and clearer packaging labeling is the first step towards this goal.  Another is redistribution of food to those in need through food pantries and food banks.  

Most consumers are confused with such labels as Sell By, Best By, or Use By dates.  Is it safe to eat after these dates?  The simple answer is yes.  These dates are regulated by USDA guidelines for manufacturers.  The USDA provides an extension based on the type of food item.  Sell By dates are the last date a food product can be sold.  It guides a retailer on the rotation of shelf stock and allows time for the product to be stored and used at home.  The date is quality driven, not a food safety concern.  Best By dates represent the recommended time limit a food should be used within for best flavor or quality.  It is not a purchase or safety date.  Use By dates are the last date a consumer is recommended to use a product while it is at peak quality.  This is for best flavor or quality and is not a Sell By or food safety date.  Use by dates are usually seen on fresh meats at the grocery stores.  The meat item should be either used or frozen by that date.  Freezing will extend the date up to 8 months depending on the meat type and packaging.  

Historically, these dates are a relatively new addition to how food is managed. If you are familiar with the Jolly Green Giant, you know he picks his produce at the peak of freshness and it is either frozen or canned.  Frozen vegetables have a taste closer to fresh but are subject to freezer burn after their Best By date (typically 9 - 12 months), but canned vegetables have a longer Best By date (up to 3 years) and tend to lose that peak flavor after that time.  Most canned vegetables are still safe to consume up to 3 years after this date based on the USDA extended date chart.  When we were growing up, there were no dates on the cans.  We judged if it was safe to eat by looking at the can and observing.  Is it bulging or swollen?  Leaking?  Rusted?  Have an odd smell?  Did it fizz or spurt when you started opening it?  Is there mold or discoloration?  If you answered yes to any of these, then it is unsafe to eat.   Go to https://www.usda.gov/ to learn more about food safety.

Submitted 2/12/2025 by Kathy Scheller, Director of Operations