U.S. households throw away a costly amount of food each year, even as grocery prices remain elevated nationwide. A big part of that waste comes from confusion over package labels, especially the difference between quality dates and true safety-based expiration dates. Federal agencies and food industry groups have repeatedly said most date labels on packaged food are not indicators of food safety.
Date labels are driving a measurable share of food waste
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said food waste is the single largest category of material sent to municipal landfills, and ReFED estimated in its 2024 food waste report that the average U.S. household loses about $1,500 a year on uneaten food. ReFED also said date label confusion remains one of the most common reasons edible food gets discarded at home.
The Food and Drug Administration stated in guidance updated in December 2024 that phrases like “best if used by” generally refer to product quality, not safety. The agency has encouraged the food industry to use a standard quality label to reduce confusion, and it has said formula is one of the few products with a federally required use-by date.
The Consumer Brands Association and FMI, The Food Industry Association, have backed that standard wording since 2017. Their guidance recommends “Best if Used By” for quality and “Use By” for products with time-sensitive safety concerns, though the groups have also said adoption is still voluntary across the U.S. market.
What this means for shoppers across the U.S.
This is a national consumer issue, not one tied to a single state, because date labeling rules still vary across product categories and state laws. The FDA has not released a state-by-state list showing where shoppers are most likely to encounter nonstandard labels, and there is no single federal system that applies to every packaged food sold in all 50 states.
What is confirmed is that label confusion affects household budgets broadly. The Natural Resources Defense Council said in prior national research that Americans discard food for several reasons, but date labels are a recurring factor, especially for staples like dairy, eggs, and packaged pantry items that may still be usable after a quality date passes.
The USDA has also said consumers should examine food for signs of spoilage and follow storage guidance, rather than relying only on a date printed on the package. For meat, poultry, and infant formula, federal safety guidance is more specific, and the USDA and FDA both maintain separate consumer advice by product type.
Why the confusion persists and what happens next
One reason this keeps happening is that the U.S. still does not have a single mandatory national dating system for most foods. Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic and NRDC said in a widely cited report that the patchwork of labels and regulations has long led shoppers to throw out safe food earlier than necessary.
Industry groups have said standardizing labels could help reduce waste, but they have also confirmed the change has moved unevenly because companies update packaging on different timelines. That means shoppers in 2025 can still see several phrases on shelves, including “sell by,” “best by,” and “use by,” depending on the brand and category.
For customers, the practical takeaway is simple and factual. Unless a product is infant formula or a food with specific safety guidance, a “best if used by” date usually signals peak quality, not an automatic deadline for disposal, according to the FDA. Federal agencies and food waste groups have said clearer labels remain one of the clearest ways to cut unnecessary household waste.
