When the food in your fridge is past the “best by” or “sell by” dates, what do you do with it? Toss it out? If you are like most Americans, you’re probably throwing it out for your own safety. According to a new study, the problem is that most people believe wrongly that food product dates are federally regulated and indicate the point after which the food is no longer safe to eat. Neither is true. Let’s clear up some misunderstandings regarding expiration dates. First, “best by” refers to when a food is at peak flavor or quality, and “sell by” indicates how long a store should sell or display a product for inventory management reasons. Got it? Good. But when should you throw something out? If proper spoilage isn’t evident, use your senses: spoilage batteries will typically produce a noticeable change in odor, flavor or texture. If none of these have developed, it’s probably safe to keep your food.
What the expiration dates on food products really mean
More of Today's Solutions
New method uses sound waves to map soil health, stop famine, and restore farm...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Across the world, soil scientists are trading in their shovels for something unexpected: seismic sensors. In a breakthrough ...
Read MoreThis simple 15-minute mindset exercise can ease anxiety, science shows
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A growing body of research is revealing how a short, simple activity that is done in just 15 ...
Read More3 habits of the happiest people
Think of the happiest people you know. Do you find yourself often wondering what they are doing to maintain a general level of joy? ...
Read MoreChangemakers of the week: GRuB and SparkNJ
Every day on the Optimist Daily, we report on solutions from around the world. Though we love solutions big and small, the ones that ...
Read More
