Sell-By Dates Are Not Expiration Dates — Stop Throwing Away Good Food

Every year Florida throws away millions of tons of food — and a lot of it is perfectly safe to eat. A major reason? Confusing packaging labels. When you toss food because the package says “sell-by,” “best if used by,” or “use-by,”you’re probably throwing away money, nutrients, and meals that could have fed someone in your community.

The problem in Florida

Florida produced millions of tons of surplus food in recent years — residential and commercial combined — and household waste is a huge part of it. Wasted food in Florida has been tracked in multi-million-ton figures, and studies show Florida households discard hundreds of dollars of food per year on average. This isn’t just waste — it’s lost nutrition, lost income, and added pressure on local landfills and climate emissions. Axios+1

What food labels actually mean

Date labels are mostly about quality, not safety.

• “Sell-by”: A retailer-facing date telling stores how long to display a product. It is not a safety deadline.

• “Best if used by / Best before”: Indicates peak flavor or quality. Food may be fine to eat after this date.

• “Use-by”: The closest to a safety label — for some perishable items, it’s a manufacturer’s recommendation for peak safety/quality. Authoritative sources warn that inconsistent labeling causes consumer confusion and food waste; USDA guidance clarifies these distinctions. Food Safety and Inspection Service+1

  
  

Real numbers, real consequences

• Nationwide and statewide data show enormous value lost to uneaten food — costing households and communities billions. ReFED and related analyses quantify the financial and environmental toll of surplus food nationally and regionally. ReFed+1

• The EPA and state programs emphasize that food is the single largest component of municipal landfills — reducing avoidable food waste is both an economic and climate priority. Environmental Protection Agency+1

  
  

How to tell whether food is still safe (practical, safety-first tips)

1. Look, smell, feel — Spoilage is usually obvious: off-odors, sliminess, mold (beyond intentional molds like on blue cheese), or a bloated can/bag. When in doubt, throw it out. Safety first. Food Safety and Inspection Service

2. Use the storage clock — Leftovers: generally safe 3–4 days refrigerated; cooked meats and casseroles follow this rule. Freeze if you won’t eat them within that window. USDA

3. Freeze for life extension — Freezing preserves safety and quality for months. If a food is approaching its “sell-by” and you won’t use it, freeze it.

4. Follow packaging for perishable safety — Infant formula and some perishable products are exceptions — follow label safety instructions on those. U.S. Food and Drug Administration

5. Use trusted tools — USDA’s FoodKeeper app explains storage times for hundreds of foods. It’s a practical resource to reduce waste. USDA

   
   

How small changes add up — for your wallet and Florida

Households that learn to store, freeze, and assess food safely can slash the hundreds of dollars they waste yearly. For Florida communities, reducing avoidable waste means more food available to donate, less landfill methane, and more resilient local hunger relief networks. PNJ+1

What you can do today

• Read labels: treat “sell-by” and “best by” as quality markers, not safety cutoffs.

• Learn storage windows from the USDA FoodKeeper app. USDA

• Freeze extras and plan meals to use perishable items first.

• Donate unopened, safe-to-eat food to local pantries (check your pantry’s donation guidelines).

• Call your workplace or hospital about starting an employee pantry — small pantry programs keep nutritious food in the hands of those who need it most.
  

Credible further reading (three authoritative articles)

• ReFED/Axios reporting on Florida food surplus and waste: Florida generated millions of tons of surplus food; residential waste is a big share. Axios

• USDA Food Product Dating — official guidance on what date labels mean and how to interpret them. Food Safety and Inspection Service

• USDA & FDA joint effort to standardize labeling and reduce confusion — context on policy movement to reduce waste. U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  

Final word

Confusing labels lead to avoidable waste. In Florida alone, the dollars and meals thrown away because of label misunderstanding could instead help neighbors, reduce landfill emissions, and save families real money. Learn the difference between sell-by and expiration, use the FoodKeeper guidance, freeze wisely, and donate safely. Small choices change the system.

If you want, Simple Truth Foundation can help your company or hospital set up donation pathways or employee pantries to capture surplus food and redistribute it where it’s needed most. Let’s turn Florida’s food surplus into nourishment, not landfill.