Did you know that 80% of consumers in the US report that they discard food prematurely due to confusion around date labels? (Food Marketing Institute, 2015). As well as being a major source of confusion, date labels are a huge contributor of food waste.

Too Good To Go is here to help you gain a better understanding of the different label meanings so that you can be a Waste Warrior in your own home.

For more information about date labeling in the US, be sure to check out the USDA website and fact sheets. 

TRUST YOUR SENSES

To determine if your food is safe to eat beyond the date label, we encourage you to use your senses, look, smell and taste - before you waste.

1. LOOK: Take a good look at the items in question. Do you notice any color changes or traces of mold? If so, your product is probably no longer edible.
   
   

2. SMELL: Give it a good sniff. If it smells abnormal, you’ll know pretty quickly. Otherwise, you can move on to the final sensory test….
   
   

3. TASTE: Our taste buds are very qualified to tell us if a product is still good. Questionable taste? Don’t risk it. Conversely, if your product has a normal taste, a normal odor and a normal appearance, it is likely that it is completely edible. Enjoy it, you Waste Warrior, you!