The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have put out a request for information about food date labels. They’re looking for feedback to help standardize these labels, which could reduce food waste. The Zero Food Waste Coalition (ZFWC) has created a handy toolkit to guide consumers in sharing their thoughts.
The deadline to respond is March 5, 2025. The agencies want to hear about the challenges of creating uniform date labels, how consumers view these labels, and their effects on food waste and donation efforts.
The ZFWC toolkit offers templates for comments and instructions on how to submit them. It also includes tips on spreading the word through social media and newsletters.
Participants can answer 13 questions posed by the agencies and are encouraged to share any relevant data or studies to back up their responses. According to research by ReFED, having standard date labels could save consumers approximately $3.8 billion each year by reducing confusion around food freshness.
Food waste is not just a personal issue; it plays a significant role in climate change, accounting for 8-10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. In the U.S., misleading date labels contribute to about 7 percent of consumer food waste.
California has already taken a step toward standardization by banning “sell by” dates, making it the first state to do so. However, similar efforts at the federal level have been slow. The current RFI could be a vital chance to show support for this initiative.
Emily Broad Leib from the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic points out that the effort to synchronize food labels began during the Trump administration with the Federal Interagency Collaboration to Reduce Food Loss and Waste. She hopes that the agencies will receive overwhelming support for uniform date labels from consumers, businesses, and food recovery groups.
If you’re interested in sharing your thoughts, you can submit comments online HERE. The toolkit also provides details for mailing your comments.
Source link
best by,consumers,date labels,EPA,FDA,Food Law and Policy Clinic,food loss,food waste,Request for Information,sell by,toolkit,usda,Zero Food Waste Coalition
