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It later became illegal to sell food past its 'use-by' date. [35] Best practices include the labeling of foods with either a 'best before' or a 'use by' date so that consumers can help to ensure the safety of their food and lessen the amount of consumer food waste. [36] [37] Dates must be in day/month or day/month/year format. [38]
The USDA estimates that 30% of the food supply is wasted at the retail and consumer level due to confusion about the expiration dates on food products.
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High-acid canned foods (tomatoes, fruits) will keep their best quality for 12 to 18 months; low-acid canned foods (meats, vegetables) for 2 to 5 years. [5] "Sell by date" is a less ambiguous term for what is often referred to as an "expiration date". Most food is still edible after the expiration date. [6]
Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container (jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, [a] although under specific circumstances, it can be much longer. [2] A freeze-dried canned product, such as canned ...
Labels like "best if used by" and "use by" are estimates on the date after which the food is no longer at peak quality. And "enjoy by" isn't really clearly defined.
There are also regulations on which type of best before date must be applied: Best before + day for foods with a shelf life of up to 3 months. [citation needed] Best before end (BBE) [9] + month for foods with a more-than 3-month shelf life. [citation needed] Best before end (BBE) + year for food with a more-than 18-month shelf life. [citation ...