Health and Fitness : Dating 101

Americans throw out billions of pounds of food every year due to confusion about food expiration date label-ing practices, according to a recent report released by Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic and the Natural Resources Defense Council. This study found that over 90 percent of Americans prematurely toss food because they misinterpret dates on food labels as indicators of food safety.

For most products, date shelf life is determined by the manufacturer and is based on food quality, not food safety. The lead author of the study concluded that a stan-dardized date labeling system providing useful information to consumers is needed. Until a new system is in place, use the guide below to help decipher codes on your next grocery store trip:

• A “Sell-by” date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.

• A “Best If Used By (or Before)” date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.

• A “Use-By” date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product.

• “Closed or coded dates” are packing numbers for use by the manufacturer.

It is also important that you keep track of your food inventory at home. The acronym FIFO (first in, first out) can help you remember oldest food should be stored in front and used first, while newer items should be placed in the back of your fridge or cabinets.

A helpful resource is www.stilltasty.com. Here you can type in a food item and determine how long it will stay safe and tasty. The website provides storage recom-mendations for the fridge and freezer. An app for the iPhone is available as well, and even alerts you when food should be tossed! A good rule of thumb is “4 day throw away”; after four days leftovers should be eaten, thrown out, or frozen. http://www.4daythrowaway.org/