The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration are seeking public input on food date labeling and related food waste issues.
Comments are due Feb. 3, according to a notice.
The agencies are looking for 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, the notice said.
Some of the questions the agencies are seeking input on include:
- Which products contain date labels, and which do not? Why do some products contain date labels and others do not?
- What standards or criteria do manufacturers and producers consider when deciding which food date label phrase to use? Are different phrases used for different products or categories of products, and if so, why?
- Are there legal or trade requirements or marketing standards that impact which phrases are used (i.e. local or state requirements, industry best practice standards, etc.)? If so, please describe.
- What standards or criteria do manufacturers and producers consider when deciding what date to use? Would a particular product have a different date depending on the phrase used (e.g., would the date be the same or different if the phrase were “Best if Used By” versus “Use By” or “Freeze By”)? If so, please explain.
- What challenges or limitations do food manufacturers have when establishing or changing food date labels? Are there costs associated with changing the date label phrase or date used in addition to the costs associated with any label change? If so, please explain what those are.
- What data is available on the use of certain food date label phrases and cost to manufacturers, retailers or consumers?
- How do grocery retailers determine that a food item is no longer sellable? Do the considerations differ depending on the food item? Do the considerations take into account the phrase and/or date on the label, and if so, how?
- What studies or data are available on consumer understanding of current date labeling on food that FSIS and FDA regulate, and why are these studies or data important for FSIS and FDA to consider? Are there data and studies that demonstrate that consumers are confused by date labels and think the dates determine whether food is safe?
- Are there any available studies or data on whether and how consumers consider food date labels when grocery shopping or when deciding to discard food at home?
- What data are available on the most effective ways for presenting food date labels on food items so that consumers can easily access and clearly understand the information?
- What studies exist on the factors that should be considered in a national education campaign aimed at reducing consumer confusion about date labels? Please explain the reasoning as to why a study should be considered.
- What studies detailing the effects of date labeling on food waste should FSIS and FDA consider, and why?
- What factors do firms (e.g., manufacturers, retailers, food banks) and individuals consider when determining which food items to donate or discard? Specifically, do firms or individuals use food date labels to inform decisions to donate or discard food items? Please provide supporting studies or data.
- What estimates are available concerning the value of food that is discarded due to date labels, including any studies regarding the value discarded due to confusion of date labels?