Canadians香蕉视频直播� misunderstanding of best before dates could be contributing to excess food waste and, in turn, food insecurity, experts say as a government committee urges Ottawa to examine the issue.
A report on grocery affordability from a House of Commons committee on agriculture and agri-food includes arguments that Canada do away with best before dates due to the widespread misconception that they indicate whether a product is safe to consume.
Experts say all they indicate is when a product is past its peak freshness.
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 a lot of confusion around what food labels mean,香蕉视频直播� Kate Parizeau, a professor at the University of Guelph who studies food waste, said Tuesday.
香蕉视频直播淎 lot of people think that best before dates are expiry dates, when there are actually very few products in Canada that have a proper expiry date.香蕉视频直播�
Generally, the only foods with an expiry date are those that have a specific nutritional requirement that could degrade over time, such as baby formula. Best before dates, on the other hand, are required on foods that are expected to go bad within 90 days.
Food manufacturers and processors tend to slap them on all sorts of products, though, Parizeau noted, and they are of limited utility.
香蕉视频直播淚 think many people have this idea that before dates are determined by scientists in a lab measuring how many days until a product goes bad,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 not how it works. It香蕉视频直播檚 something that the government tells manufacturers that they themselves have to figure out in-house, so it香蕉视频直播檚 a bit of a black box.香蕉视频直播�
Parizeau encouraged consumers to learn more about food safety so they can determine for themselves whether groceries are spoiled.
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e so disconnected from our food sources. We don香蕉视频直播檛 know when the product was picked. We don香蕉视频直播檛 know how long it香蕉视频直播檚 supposed to stay good,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淪o if somebody puts peppers into cellophane and puts a sticker on them, we香蕉视频直播檙e like, 香蕉视频直播極K, this is meaningful. I can trust whatever is put on the sticker.香蕉视频直播� In part, because we don香蕉视频直播檛 understand how that decision came about either.香蕉视频直播�
Lori Nikkel, the CEO of Second Harvest Canada, is quoted in the government report saying that best before dates encourage people to throw out 香蕉视频直播減erfectly good food香蕉视频直播� when many go hungry because of rising costs.
香蕉视频直播淓liminating best-before dates would prevent safe, consumable food from being thrown out and save Canadians money on their grocery bills,香蕉视频直播� she said in the report released last month, which recommends the government investigate 香蕉视频直播渉ow the elimination of 香蕉视频直播榖est-before香蕉视频直播� dates on foods would impact Canadians.香蕉视频直播�
Michael von Massow, an expert in food labeling who also teaches at the University of Guelph, said he香蕉视频直播檚 in favour of doing away with the labels.
香蕉视频直播淏ecause they are so misinterpreted, I think there香蕉视频直播檚 some real value in getting rid of them,香蕉视频直播� he said.
Von Massow said the extent to which food waste drives up cost is not clear, though it stands to reason that it plays some role by reducing the supply and increasing demand for groceries.
香蕉视频直播淚f we were throwing out less stuff, we would save money in our households, even if prices didn香蕉视频直播檛 change,香蕉视频直播� von Massow said.
香蕉视频直播淪o I think there香蕉视频直播檚 an argument that prices could change if we threw less of some products out. But even if it didn香蕉视频直播檛 change, if we threw less stuff out, our grocery budget would go down.香蕉视频直播�
The suggestion that the government study the potential effects of removing best before dates is one of 13 in the report.
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