States want to ban ‘Sell By’ labels on food. Here’s why

Sell-by dates on groceries might be past their prime. At the start of July, California became the first state to ban public-facing sell by dates, and other states are following close behind. California’s move is two fold, banning sell by dates and reducing the over 50 date labels a shopper might see in the grocery store to just two. Shoppers in the golden state will now see a ‘Best if used by’ date for peak quality, and ‘Use by’ date for product safety. Experts hope removing date label confusion can help cut down on food waste. 31% of food in the U.S. is wasted according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Date label confusion is estimated to contribute to 3.5 million tons of food going to waste, per year. PBS News’ Tim McPhillips spoke to Sara Burnett, executive director of ReFED, a nonprofit working to end food waste, and Carla Schwan, associate professor and food safety specialist at the University of Georgia to break down the potential expiration of sell by dates and how you can save your food, and your money. #food #cooking #savings #foodwaste #environment #foodprices #groceries #foodsafety #tips #news