MEAT+POULTRY - January 2025 - 14

WASHINGTON
Scrapping food waste
The US Department of Agriculture
(USDA) and the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) recently issued
a joint Request for Information (RFI)
regarding food date labeling.
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.
" 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, " said FDA
Deputy Commissioner for Human
Foods Jim Jones. " The information
collected will help us understand
consumers' perception of terms like
'Sell By,' 'Use By' and 'Best By.'
" 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 US consumers. "
The 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. It seeks to understand
how consumers interpret date label
information - especially if they
believe the dates determine whether
food is safe when they actually
indicate quality - and
if it impacts decisions
made when grocery
shopping or discarding
food. The questionnaire
also explores if any
relationship exists between
date labels, food waste and
household expenses.
Development (USAID) joining the
partnership. The agencies are working
together to produce a final strategy
toward meeting the national goal of
reducing food loss and waste
by 50% by 2030.
Agencies
believe confusion
over date labels
contributes to
food waste.
The public has 60 days to comment
on one or more of the 13 questions
posed by the agencies.
Currently, the FDA and USDA
recommend food industry members
voluntarily apply the " Best if Used By "
quality-based food date label, which
denotes the date after which quality
may deteriorate but the product may
still be consumed. Federal regulations
do not prohibit the use of other date
labeling phrases like, " Sell By " or
" Use by, " if they are truthful and
not misleading.
The issuing of the RFI is one of
the agencies' many actions taken in
response to the National Strategy for
Reducing Food Loss and Waste and
Recycling Organics. In May 2024,
the agencies renewed their Federal
Interagency Collaboration to Reduce
Food Loss and Waste (FIFLAW)
with the US Agency for International
The USDA estimates
that the average family
of four spends at least
$1,500 each year on food
that ends up uneaten,
and the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)
estimates that 66 million tons
of wasted food was generated in food
retail, foodservice and residential
sectors in 2019.
" Wasted food is the single largest
category of material placed in
municipal landfills, " the agencies
noted. " Wasted wholesome and safe
food represents nourishment that
could have helped feed families
in need.
" Additionally, water, energy,
arable land and labor used to produce
wasted food could have been used for
other purposes. "
The FDA and the USDA received
over 9,800 comments following the
draft of the National Strategy for
Reducing Food Loss and Waste and
Recycling Organics, encouraging an
update of the federal date labeling
requirements, including standardizing
date labeling.
BY RACHAEL OATMAN | roatman@sos land.com
" 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. "
- JIM JONES
14 MEAT+POULTRY | 01.25 | www.meatpoultry.com
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MEAT+POULTRY - January 2025

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