Changing the wording about expiration dates (保质期) on food items of easily going bad — which is currently unregulated (缺乏监管) and widely variable — could help reduce food waste, according to a new Cornell University study.
This work results from the “wild west” landscape of food date labels which is expected to be driven, to a large extent, by manufacturers’ (制造商) strong wish to sell more products. It is important for both the government’s decisions regarding date labels and the market impacts of reducing food waste.
A survey of consumers found that certain wording — “best by,” as opposed to “best if used by,” for example — had the possibility to reduce food waste, but that result differed depending on the type of food in question. The easier food is to go bad, the more likely it is to be thrown away.
“There are no practical rules about food date labels in the U.S. If you go into the yogurt section at a U.S. grocery store, you would see various date labels — ‘use by’, ‘best by’, ‘best if used by’, ‘fresh by’, or ‘sell by’, etc. Some consumers might smell the food to see if it is still good, while others might just look at the date label and drop it,” said Rickard, leader of the study team. “And the truth is that these date labels are not food safety dates; they’re just food quality dates.”
The 15 food items selected for the survey, including bread, cookies, chicken, packaged salad greens and canned soup, all typically use date labels with different wording variations. Survey results showed an increase in throwing intentions with the “use by” and the “sell by” date label, inferring that food with these date labels was more often thrown and replaced. So they think that the word “use” spoke more directly to the food safety impact of consuming food past the date listed on the package, and could therefore lead to an increase in food waste. However, the wording “best by” seemed to refer only to food quality beyond a certain date and led to less waste.
12. What is probably the main reason for so many date labels in the U.S.?
A.The government wants to monitor the market. |
B.The producers intend to increase the food sales. |
C.The sellers tend to meet the needs of consumers. |
D.The manufacturers hope to ensure the food quality. |
13. Which wording on the date labels may help reduce food waste?
A.“Best by”. | B.“Sell by”. | C.“Use by”. | D.“Best if used by”. |
14. Why is the yogurt section at a grocery store mentioned?
A.To solve a problem. | B.To give a warning. |
C.To offer some advice. | D.To prove a fact. |
15. What might be the best title for the text?
A.Similar Date Labels Mislead Shoppers |
B.Words Matter in Food Safety Messaging |
C.The Correct View of Consumption Is Important |
D.The U.S. Is Taking Measures to Reduce Food Waste |