The Washington PostThe Washington Post

Why it’s okay to ignore food expiration dates

By Dino Grandoni

17 May 2023 · 3 min read

Editor's Note

Food labels can be confusing, leading to a lot of good food going to waste. The Washington Post gives some useful tips on how to differentiate between the good produce from the bad.

Walk into a grocery store, and you'll face a cacophony of expirations dates: "sell by," "use by," "freeze by." Sometimes you'll even see "enjoy by" or "delicious if used by."

The confusion over food expiration dates is more than just an inconvenience for shoppers. All that bad labeling means a lot of good food goes to waste, as consumers misinterpret dates and throw away refrigerators full of edible food.

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