Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN, a registered dietician and nutritionist based in Brooklyn, tells Bustle, suggests caution. They indicate when “the food will be at its peak quality and flavor, but they are not an exact science, and consumers should know of potential inconsistencies when evaluating whether to eat or throw away a particular food.” “These labels should be considered an estimate,” she explains. With the exception of baby formula, labeling foods with “best if used by” dates isn’t legally required and doesn’t indicate a specific safety measure, says Tamika Sims, Ph.D., the senior director of food technology communications at the International Food Information Council. Despite what people may think, there are foods you can eat past the expiration dates on their labels. Of course, you don't want to eat something that's unsafe or could make you sick, but you can save money and reduce waste if you stop living by the date you see stamped on your yogurt cartons. Expiration dates aren't always accurate representations of a food's shelf life, and - as your roomie has probably reminded you - those labels have been linked to a massive amount of food waste every year. The last time you found yourself judging your roommate for eating their Greek yogurt past the expiration date and they said sell-by dates are a social construct.
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