We all know what an expiration date is, or what it is supposed to be, for a drug product. It is a date after which the product could begin to lose its label-stated claim of the drug potency. For some products (like prescription tetracycline), degradation products could form post expiration date that could make taking the product dangerous. We all also know that most of us have that bottle of ibuprofen still sitting on the shelf where the expiration date has passed, and we are using it. For those of us in the drug industry, we know that for a product like ibuprofen, which is about as stable as a rock, there is little chance of harm that would occur if the product was used for a while after the expiration date. I have to admit that I have used Ibuprofen up to a year after its expiry without a problem. And while I am not advocating for drug use beyond expiry date, we also know that many firms only want a 24-month date on their product to avoid additional analytical testing beyond the expiry date, especially for a drug with a high burn rate. Risking an out-of-specification result after the 24-month expiry could result in an expensive recall. Gone are the days of seeing many drug products with expiration dates of 3-5 years even though testing may show that it is perfectly fine.
However, how many of you have purchased a food product with a Best if Used By date or a Sell By date and wondered just how long do I have to safely use this product? You are not alone! I know when I buy a product with that wording, my wife gives me a funny look if the “date” is close to when I bought it. She will throw anything away if the Best if Used By date or the Sell By date has been exceeded. Apparently, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the FDA who are responsible for policing the food supply are concerned about these dates as well. In the pre-publication of the Federal Register (FR) today (here), the two Agencies are jointly requesting information on the public’s perception of the terms used and what they mean to the consumer to get a clearer picture of how best to label products for safe use and “any impact date labeling may have on food waste”. The latter initiative is related to “the final National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics (the National Strategy). The National Strategy lays out a path for the U.S. to meet its national goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50 percent by 2030” released by the Biden-Harris administration on June12, 2024.
The report indicated that “[T]he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that in 2019, 66 million tons of wasted food was generated in the food retail, food service, and residential sectors, and most of this waste (about 60 percent) was sent to landfills. An additional 40 million tons of wasted food was generated in the food and beverage manufacturing and processing sectors. Wasted food is the single largest category of material placed in municipal landfills. 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 Agencies are asking for comments and suggestions on 13 questions listed in the FR notice for which they seek public input. Their goal is to make labeling for the foods that they regulate have labeling that is clearer to the consumer about what the labeled statements regarding use date really mean and how that could reduce food waste without reducing the safe use of the products. A lofty goal, and one that would likely save consumers money in the long run.
While we don’t usually write about food issues, this notice has even broader implications for public health, as food waste contributes considerably to the formation of greenhouse gases! It is a very important issue.
