USDA & FDA Issue Request For Information On Food Date Labels
FDA and USDA announced a joint Request for Information (RFI) about food date labeling, which includes the usage of terms such as “Sell By,” “Use By” and “Best By.”
Purpose Of The RFI
The RFI seeks information on industry practices and preferences for date labeling, research results on consumer perceptions of date labeling and any impact date labeling may have on food waste and grocery costs. For example, questions in the RFI include which products contain date labels and what criteria are used to decide what phrase to use and what date to include. The RFI also asks questions about how consumers interpret date label information, including whether consumers are confused by this information — especially if they believe the dates determine whether food is safe when in fact, they indicate quality — or whether it has impacts on decisions made while grocery shopping or discarding food. Finally, there are questions that explore any relationship between date labels, food waste and household expenses.
FDA And USDA’s Role In Food Labeling
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and FDA jointly have broad jurisdiction and oversight over the U.S. food supply. They have responsibility for ensuring that food labels on products over which they each have jurisdiction are truthful and not misleading. The information collected from the RFI may be used to inform future policy decisions, guidance or consumer education campaigns on food date labels intended to help reduce the premature discard of wholesome and safe food.
The Impact Of Date Labeling On Food Waste
“It has been estimated that confusion over the multitude of different date labeling terms on food products accounts for about 20% of food waste in the home. The information collected will help us understand consumers’ perception of terms like ‘Sell By,’ ‘Use By’ and ‘Best By,’” says FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones. “We are looking forward to gathering valuable information to determine how date labeling can make it easier for consumers to know whether a food is still good to eat and avoid food waste. The FDA is committed to doing all that we can to support informed and sound decisions that are good for U.S. consumers.”
The National Strategy For Reducing Food Loss And Waste
USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Emilio Esteban, adds that through this RFI, the agencies hope to learn more about how those date labels are determined and whether they confuse consumers and lead to needless food waste.
The action this week is one of many to be taken in response to the National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics, which was released by FDA, USDA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in June. USDA estimates that the average family of four spends at least $1,500 each year on food that ends up uneaten, and EPA estimates that in 2019, 66 million tons of wasted food was generated in the food retail, foodservice and residential sectors, and most of this waste (about 60%) was sent to landfills. The national strategy lays out a path that would enable the United States to meet its national goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50% by 2030, helping reduce the environmental impacts of food waste and lower costs for American families.
Public Feedback On Date Labeling
In response to the draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics, FDA and USDA received more than 9,800 comments encouraging an update of the federal date labeling requirements, including standardizing date labeling.
Commenters noted that food manufacturers use a variety of phrases such as “Sell By,” “Use By” and “Best By” on product labels to describe dates on a voluntary basis. According to commenters, the use of different phrases to describe dates may cause consumer confusion and lead to the premature disposal of wholesome and safe food because it is past the date printed on the package. The RFI attempts to explore the issues raised in those comments by asking stakeholders for information they have relevant to this topic.
Current Recommendations And Next Steps
Both FDA and USDA currently recommend that food industry members voluntarily apply the “Best if Used By” quality-based food date label, which notes the date after which quality may decline but the product still may be consumed. Although FDA and USDA encourage the use of the phrase “Best if Used By,” current federal regulations do not prohibit industry from using other date labeling phrases, such as “Sell By” or “Use By,” if they are truthful and not misleading. Commenters will have 60 days to provide comments responsive to one or more of the 13 questions posed. Further information on how to submit a comment can be found in the Federal Register notice.
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Source: Cheese Market News
