Although date labeling of food has nearly a century-long U.S. history with considerable developments during different spans of time, the fact that it is an issue has become more visible in the past few years as attention to and concern about food loss and waste have heightened. There is considerable variation in date labeling/marking practices in the U.S. and around the world; this lack of harmonization contributes to misunderstanding in the marketplace and in the home about the meaning of date labeling terminology and appropriate responsive action. These misconceptions lead to use of limited regulatory resources to check dates on labels, financial burden and wasted food. A group of individuals affiliated with the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), academia, the food industry, regulatory community, food banking, trade associations and consulting organizations (see “Food Date Labeling Working Group”) came together to produce a document aimed at bringing science-based clarity to this issue to allow for more informed risk-based decision making by various stakeholders. This article summarizes the publication—“Applications and Perceptions of Date Labeling of Food,” by Newsome et al.[1]—that IFT published in Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety.
Why the Concern?
Food loss and waste is a substantial, global issue. About 33 to 50 percent of food, equivalent to 1.3 billion tons of food valued at about $1 trillion, is lost or wasted per year.[2–5] This has negative impacts on the environment, economic development and our ability to address food security. Earth’s population is projected to increase from 7.2 billion to 10.9 billion by 2100.[6] It has been estimated that the size of the population in 2050 will require a 60 percent increase in global food production by then.[3,7]