Food date labels are inconsistently regulated by states, and are not clearly defined or applied, even in the same product categories. In the majority of cases, the date labels don't actually indicate when food will spoil, or provide a reliable measure for managing food safety, but are an indicator of optimal quality determined by the manufacturer. This leaves consumers confused.

A recent study by the Harvard University Law School and the Natural Resources Defense Council reported that Americans throw away 40 percent of the food they buy often because of misleading expiration dates that may not be food safety specific.  The current date labels may impart a false sense of food safety if the end user simply makes decisions based on the label dates.  While in reality, critical food safety factors or controls (i.e., water activity, pH) are different for different food types.  For example, the factor for an end user to judge the food safety of a package of ready-to-eat deli meat is not only the total duration of storage, but also the amount of time the food has spent in the "danger zone".   Our food dating and end user communication systems should be re-assessed by specific food type.  

A report by the Food Marketing Institute indicated that 91 percent of consumers disposed of food after the sell-by date at least occasionally, and a whopping 25 percent always did so. The resulting food waste must be diverted which contributes complexity and potential risk to public health.

The purpose of this roundtable will be to discuss the current food labeling systems and provide insight into more effective science-based alternative solutions that decrease confusion and food waste while enhancing food safety and public health.