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Food expiration dates don’t mean what you think - Carolyn Beans

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Countries around the world waste huge amounts of food every year: roughly a fifth of food items in the US are tossed because consumers aren’t sure how to interpret expiration labels. But most groceries are still perfectly safe to eat past their expiration dates. If the dates on our food don’t tell us that something’s gone bad, what do they tell us? Carolyn Beans shares how to prevent food waste.

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Carolyn Beans
  • Director Anton Bogaty
  • Narrator Alexandra Panzer
  • Music Salil Bhayani, cAMP Studio
  • Sound Designer Chengqing Zhu, cAMP Studio
Avatar for ISNAINI WAHYU NINGTYAS
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Food expiration dates don't mean what you think

I think the correct determination of shelf life and expiry markings is really important because this information is essential for consumers. If the alleged shelf-life is shorter than it should be, the product will be deemed expired when in fact it can still be consumed, a mistake that will clearly harm the industry. If the presumed shelf life is longer than it should be, there is a risk that consumers will receive products with inappropriate safety and quality, an error that will harm consumers. This lack of clarity regarding the meaning of expiration limits has led to the waste of food products that are actually still suitable for consumption. This has led to high rates of food waste.

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Avatar for Marien Barrera
Lesson completed

I find a dual situation in this case. By one hand the customers have an incomplete information about the product shelf life. However, the companies need a legal framework to protect them about to the product quality, sured a safe time to the product be consumed.

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