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Food expiration dates don’t mean what you think - Carolyn Beans

TED-Ed

4.5M Views . 2023-06-06

Find out what expiration date labels on food actually mean, and discover ways communities and governments can lessen food waste. -- Countries around the world waste huge amounts of food every year: roughly a fifth of food items in the US are tossed because consumers aren’t sure how to interpret expiration labels. But most groceries are still perfectly safe to eat past their expiration dates. If the dates on our food don’t tell us that something’s gone bad, what do they tell us? Carolyn Beans shares how to prevent food waste. Lesson by Carolyn Beans, directed by Anton Bogaty. This video made possible in collaboration with Speed & Scale Learn more about how TED-Ed partnerships work: https://bit.ly/TEDEdPartners A special thanks to Roni Neff who provided information and insights for the development of this video. Support Our Non-Profit Mission ---------------------------------------------- Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreon Check out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop ---------------------------------------------- Connect With Us ---------------------------------------------- Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletter Follow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebook Find us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitter Peep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram ---------------------------------------------- Keep Learning ---------------------------------------------- View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/food-expiration-dates-don-t-mean-what-you-think-carolyn-beans Dig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/food-expiration-dates-don-t-mean-what-you-think-carolyn-beans#digdeeper Animator's website: https://antonbogaty.com Music: https://www.campstudio.co ---------------------------------------------- Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Khalifa Alhulail, Martin Stephen, Jose Henrique Leopoldo e Silva, Mandeep Singh, Abhijit Kiran Valluri, Morgan Williams, Devin Harris, Pavel Zalevskiy, Karen Goepen-Wee, Filip Dabrowski, Barbara Smalley, Megan Douglas, Tim Leistikow, Ka-Hei Law, Hiroshi Uchiyama, Mark Morris, Misaki Sato, EdoKun, SookKwan Loong, Bev Millar, Lex Azevedo, Michael Aquilina, Jason A Saslow, Yansong Li, Cristóbal Moenne, Dawn Jordan, Prasanth Mathialagan, Samuel Doerle, David Rosario, Dominik Kugelmann - they-them, Siamak Hajizadeh, Ryohky Araya, Mayank Kaul, Christophe Dessalles, Heather Slater, Sandra Tersluisen, Zhexi Shan, Bárbara Nazaré, Andrea Feliz, Victor E Karhel, Sydney Evans, Latora, Noel Situ, emily lam, Sid, Niccolò Frassetto, Mana, I'm here because of Knowledge Fight Facebook group., Linda Freedman and Edgardo Cuellar.

Food waste is a significant issue in the US, with 37% stemming from households. A large portion of this waste is due to confusion regarding date labels, which are often misinterpreted as expiration dates, but actually indicate freshness.

food waste
date labels
freshness

  • The United States has a significant food waste problem, with 37% of food waste originating from households.
  • A large portion of this waste stems from misinterpretation of food date labels, which often don't accurately indicate food safety.

Insights from the YouTube Video Text:

1. The Hidden Truth Behind Food Dates: A Marketing Trick or a Safety Measure?

This video reveals the true purpose behind date labels on food products. Contrary to popular belief, these dates are rarely scientifically backed and primarily serve as a marketing tool to ensure consumers buy food at its peak freshness, driving repeat purchases. The dates are often set earlier than necessary, leading to significant food waste.

2. Beyond "Best By" and "Use By": Understanding Food Safety Beyond Dates

The video clarifies that while "Use By" dates indicate safety, most food products can be safely consumed well past their labelled dates. The video provides guidance on assessing food safety based

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