Grocery manufacturers and retailers together have adopted standard wording on packaging

In an effort to reduce consumer confusion about product date labels, grocery manufacturers and retailers together have adopted standard wording on packaging, the Food Marketing Institute and Grocery Manufacturers Association said in a news release.More than 10 different date labels are used on packages now, including Sell By, Use By, Expires On, Best Before, Better if Used By or Best By. Consumers often discard a safe or usable product after the date on the package, contributing to the waste of 30 percent to 40 percent of the food bought for consumption in the United States.The voluntary initiative streamlines the myriad date labels on consumer products packaging down to just two standard phrases:“BEST If Used By” describes product quality, where the product may not taste or perform as expected but is safe to use or consume.“USE By” applies to the few products that are highly perishable and/or have a food safety concern over time; these products should be consumed by the date listed on the package — and disposed of after that date, the release said. Retailers and manufacturers are encouraged to immediately begin phasing in the common wording with widespread adoption urged by the summer of 2018. Broad industry adoption of this new voluntary standard will occur over time so companies have flexibility to make the changes in a way that ensures consistency across their product categories.The industry associations pointed out that about 44 percent of food waste sent to landfills comes from consumers, and statistics show that addressing consumer confusion around product date labeling could reduce total national food waste by about 8 percent.