According to an article by the Los Angeles Times, 90% of Americans misinterpret “sell by”, “best before”, or “use by” labels as expiration dates. They’re not.
Sell by: “Manufacturers use sell-by dates to help retailers manage their inventory. It encourages stores to sell a product within a specific time frame so that the item still has a shelf life once it’s purchased.” i.e. You shouldn’t be throwing out food in your fridge just because it’s passed the sell-by date.
Best before and use by: These are “producer estimates of how long the food will be at peak quality.” These labels do not indicate a deadline after which products go bad or expire.
Other stats:
- Americans throw out as much as 40% of the country’s food supply each year, adding up to $165 billion in losses
- The average American household of four loses as much as $455 a year on prematurely-discarded food
- Food waste makes up the largest portion of solid trash in landfills