Date Labeling Legislation To Reduce Food Waste Introduced

Legislation that would create national labeling standards to reduce food waste and replace state-by-state date labeling requirements was introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate last week.

The companion bills, introduced by Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Senator  Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), propose the establishment of a uniform national safety and quality date labeling system that would require manufacturers or retailers to include a date label using the standard language of “best if used by” instead of a patchwork of varying code dates.

“The aim of the legislation is to standardize food date labels across products and across the country, so that the states can no longer have differing code date requirements,” said Ruth Saunders, IDFA vice president of policy and legislative affairs. “As far as safety expiration dates are concerned, the bills would allow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to include or exempt ready-to-eat products that have a high risk of microbial contamination, which would be determined through a regulatory process.”

To read the rest of the story, please go to: International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)