America has a bigger food waste problem
The National Resource Defense Council estimates that approximately 40 percent of all food in the United States goes uneaten.
“According to studies, the consumer is responsible for more than 44 percent of the food waste in this country as they buy more food than they need or can be used before the expiration date,” said Phil Lempert, editor in chief of The Food Journal.
Expiration labels are determined by the manufacturer, but at a retail level each store forms its own policy. There is no uniform or universally accepted system used for food dating in the U.S. According to Lempert, the question is whether consumers will purchase such “expired” products at full or reduced prices.