FDA Tells Food Industry To Change Expiration Dates

The Food and Drug Administration is urging the food industry to make expiration dates more clear so Americans don't waste so much food. The FDA on Thursday issued a letter to the food industry supporting a growing trend to put date labels that read "Best if Used By" on almost all foods. The FDA also is reminding people that most foods are still perfectly safe to eat after the date on labels, even though the food has lost some flavor. The Agriculture Department estimates about 30-percent of food in this country goes to waste on store shelves or in people's homes, at a cost of about 160-billion dollars a year.