On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 12:06:11 -0800 (PST), dsi1 >
wrote:

>On Friday, February 24, 2017 at 3:50:00 PM UTC-10, Alex wrote:
>> From Wells Fargo Daily Advantage:
>>
>> "Just about a week ago, two food industry trade groups announced
>> voluntary, standardized practices intended to clear up confusion about
>> 10 separate label phrases such as Sell By, Use By, Expires On, Best
>> Before, Better if Used By, or Best By. Manufacturers are now encouraged
>> to use only two: "Best if Used By" and "Use By."
>>
>> "Best If Used By" describes product quality: The product taste or
>> performance may suffer after the indicated date but is safe to consume
>> or use. "Use By" applies to highly perishable products and/or food
>> safety concerns. These products should be consumed by the date listed on
>> the package or disposed of after that date.
>>
>> The promulgation of new labelling practices acknowledges that the rules
>> were left to manufacturers in the past, which may be at the root of
>> label proliferation. The new rules also appear to acknowledge that past
>> practices caused consumer confusion. A survey found 91% of consumers
>> mistakenly tossed food if the "Best if used by" label had passed, when
>> that only signals the manufacturer's guess at its peak quality.
>>
>> The standards are voluntary, so there's no guarantee of adoption. In
>> addition, the roll-out offers great leeway for implementation that
>> extends to July 2018 for those manufacturers that adopt the standards."
>>
>>
>> This is a great initiative.
>
>I don't need no stinkin' "best by" dating. I got my own thresholds. And anyway, having the ability to eat foods that aren't fresh is a useful survival strategy.

During a famine or a locust plague, you'd only be too happy with that
over the date food in the back of your pantry, right?