Food expiry dates lead to 20% of food waste — and the science behind it is surprisingly weak

  • 📰 IntEngineering
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 38 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 18%
  • Publisher: 63%

United States Headlines News

United States Latest News,United States Headlines

You might want to think twice before throwing away your food.

. But there is currently no difference between the date labeling used on these foods and that used on more stable food items.Infant formula is the only food product with a “use by” date that is both government regulated and scientifically determined. It is routinely lab tested for contamination. But infant formula also undergoes nutrition tests to determine how long it take the nutrients - particularly protein – to break down.

Microbial studies, like the ones we food safety researchers work on, are also a scientific approach to meaningful date labeling on foods. In our lab, a microbial study might involve leaving a perishable food out to spoil and measuring how much bacteria grows in it over time. Scientists also do another kind of microbial study by watching how long it takes microbes like listeria

after intentionally adding the microbes to food to watch what they do, noting such details as growth in the amount of bacteria over time and [when there’s enough to cause illness].Determining the shelf life of food with scientific data on both its nutrition and its safety could drastically decrease waste and save money as food gets more expensive.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.

I don’t care for the expiration date if it smell like rotten, taste sour or mold buildup then I toss it to the garden of wasted.

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 287. in US

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Florida’s largest food bank distributing food at Jacksonville event SaturdayFarm Share, a local nonprofit committed to meeting the hunger needs of Floridians, is hosting a food distribution Saturday, July 23, with Grasp Academy. PositivelyJAX
Source: wjxt4 - 🏆 246. / 63 Read more »

Rams Unveil SoFi Stadium-Inspired, 20-Carat Weight Super Bowl LVI RingWell, the Los Angeles Rams went all out on the ring design, which was officially unveiled during a ring ceremony in front of players, coaches and staff on Thursday.
Source: nbcsandiego - 🏆 524. / 51 Read more »

Michigan zoo welcomes baby bintlets for first time in over 20 yearsAccording to the zoo, bintlets are born with their eyes sealed and remain hidden in the mother’s thick fur for a few days.
Source: 10News - 🏆 732. / 50 Read more »

South Korea postpones 20% tax on crypto gains to 2025The newly elected president is already making money moves. South Korea has postponed the 20% tax crypto gains by two years, making it come into effect in 2025. Thanks you veryy much_,,
Source: Cointelegraph - 🏆 562. / 51 Read more »

20% of people earning $250,000 per year live paycheck-to-paycheckA larger share of higher-income Americans spend more money than they bring in compared to those who earn less, study finds. Those 20% are not very good at money management then. There’s a word for that type of “ rich” but I’ll get banned if I post it. I was doing this 50 years ago. It’s nothing new. Even though prices are higher, a lot still live above their circumstances.
Source: CBSNews - 🏆 87. / 68 Read more »

'A Beacon of Hope': UN Chief Lauds Deal to Export 20+ Million Tons of Ukrainian GrainRussia and Ukraine's new grain export deal will 'bring relief for developing countries on the edge of bankruptcy' and 'help stabilize global food prices which were already at record levels even before the war,' said U.N. chief António Guterres.
Source: commondreams - 🏆 530. / 51 Read more »