Overview
Title
Food Date Labeling
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The people who make rules about food safety want to know what everyone thinks about the dates on food packages, like "Use By" or "Sell By," because they think it might be making people throw away food too soon. They are asking for ideas to help make the rules better by February 3, 2025.
Summary AI
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are seeking public input regarding food date labeling. They aim to gather information on industry practices, consumer perceptions, and the impact of date labels on food waste. Both agencies are concerned that inconsistent labeling terms like "Sell By" and "Use By" may confuse consumers, leading to unnecessary food waste. They encourage the use of the phrase "Best if Used By" to reduce confusion and are asking for public comments to guide future policies by February 3, 2025.
Abstract
FSIS and FDA (we, the agencies) are seeking public input on food date labeling. This Request for Information seeks information on industry practices and preferences for date labeling, research results on consumer perceptions of date labeling, and any impact date labeling may have on food waste.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are calling for public input on the topic of food date labeling. The agencies are interested in gathering information on how the food industry currently labels food products with dates, how consumers perceive these labels, and what impact such labeling might have on food waste. The agencies are particularly interested in whether inconsistent use of terms like "Sell By" and "Use By" leads to consumer confusion and unnecessary food waste. They are advocating the use of the phrase "Best if Used By" to help consumers better understand food quality expiration.
General Summary
This document is a formal request from FSIS and FDA seeking public feedback on food date labeling practices. The agencies want to understand the current industry practices, consumer interpretations, and the potential impact on food waste due to current labeling practices. They aim to gather this information to potentially guide future policies and are inviting comments from the public by February 3, 2025.
Significant Issues and Concerns
There are several issues and concerns with this request for information:
Lack of Clarity on Regulatory Use: The document does not provide clear guidelines on how the feedback collected will influence regulatory changes or policy decisions. This could leave stakeholders uncertain about how their input will be utilized.
Complex Regulatory Frameworks: The text is dense with legal references, such as FMIA and FD&C Act, which may be confusing for those without legal or industry expertise. This could hinder meaningful engagement from a broader audience.
Demands for Expert Knowledge: Some questions posed for commenters appear to require advanced understanding of industry-specific practices, potentially limiting input from general consumers or smaller food manufacturers.
Exclusion of Infant Formula: The exclusion of infant formula from this request seems unclear, especially since it might still pertain to broader discussions on consumer perceptions around food labeling.
Public Impact
Broadly, this document addresses a topic relevant to all consumers, as date labeling on food affects purchasing decisions and perceptions of food safety and quality. Promoting a standardized label, like "Best if Used By," could help reduce confusion and food waste, benefiting consumers by potentially extending the perceived edibility of their food.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
Consumers: If standardized date labels are implemented, consumers may benefit from clearer understanding of food freshness, leading to reduced waste and cost savings. However, they may need to adjust to new labeling standards.
Food Industry: Manufacturers and retailers might face costs associated with changing labels, but a standardized approach could simplify communication with customers and potentially reduce food waste, aligning with sustainability goals.
Policy Makers and Regulators: They have an opportunity to create regulations that could significantly reduce food waste, achieving environmental and economic aims as outlined in national strategies.
In conclusion, while the initiative by FSIS and FDA to seek input on food date labeling is a step towards addressing food confusion and waste, it must ensure clarity and accessibility in its processes to allow effective participation and subsequent policy development.
Issues
• The request for public input on food date labeling practices lacks clear instructions or guidelines on how the information collected will be used by FSIS and FDA to make regulatory changes or policy decisions.
• The document does not provide specific details about what kinds of data, studies, or evidence will be prioritized or deemed most influential in shaping future policy directives.
• The document repeatedly outlines complex regulatory frameworks and legal references (e.g., FMIA, PPIA, EPIA, FD&C Act) which may be difficult for non-expert stakeholders to fully understand and engage with.
• The section on food loss and waste provides substantial data but lacks a direct outline on how standardized date labeling would concretely decrease food loss and waste beyond general expectations.
• The provided questions for commenters are comprehensive but appear to require a high level of industry-specific knowledge that may limit broader public participation.
• The non-discrimination statement and complaint filing process are detailed yet might confuse readers not directly involved in USDA programs, leading to potential misinterpretation of the agency's role in discrimination issues.
• There is no clear explanation for why infant formula date labeling is outside the scope of this request for information, despite its relevance to consumer perceptions of food labeling.