Poll on product date labels shows consumer confusion
The poll findings illustrate that the current range of variations of date labels such as “best by,” “use by,” “sell by,” and “use or freeze by” is problematic for consumers to decipher what each of these different labels mean.
A new poll shows that nearly 60% of Americans have had a discussion within their household about the meaning of date labels on their food.
The poll, conducted for the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), Washington, D.C., and Food Policy Action Network by Lake Research Partners, Washington, D.C., surveyed over 1,000 adult Americans of all ages and political leanings. The poll findings illustrate that the current range of variations of date labels such as “best by,” “use by,” “sell by,” and “use or freeze by” is problematic for consumers to decipher what each of these different labels mean for product safety and whether a food is still safe to eat or not. In fact, the survey found that 40% of adults say they have had disagreements within their household over whether a food product should be kept or thrown away.