Restaurant Associates has committed to a 50 percent reduction in our food waste by 2030. To reach this goal, our foodservice operations incorporate several sustainable practices in our kitchens, many of which can also be recreated in our homes. Forecasting how much food we need to prepare helps to reduce over purchasing, writing menus with recipes that allow for ingredient cross-utilization and repurposing helps to reduce overproduction, and featuring creative recipes that transform food trimmings into delicious meals reduces the amount of scraps we end up composting at the end of the day. Additionally, for the times that we do end up with unused food left over, we either repurpose this food or donate the excess.
Per guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), food that has been held at the proper temperatures and has not been placed out for service in our cafes is repurposed in our food service operations within 7 days for cold items, and within 4 days for chilled cooked items. (1,2) In cases when our café operations are not able to use these items, the food is donated to our local donation partners. These partners share what types of items they will accept, which often includes many ready-to-eat packaged food items that have passed the “expiration” date on the package, as these foods are still generally safe to eat.
Although the term “expiration” is often used when referring to these dates, these dates do not indicate when the food has expired. As long as these foods are stored following instructions on the packaging, these dates actually indicate when the food manufacturers have determined to be the end of the peak quality of their product—not the date by which the food will spoil. (The only exception to this rule is infant formula, which indicates a “use by” date that identifies when the formula will be past its shelf-life and should no longer be eaten.) (3) Otherwise, the FSIS states: “if the date passes during home storage, a product should still be safe and wholesome if handled properly until the time spoilage is evident (if refrigerated properly).” (4) To determine if a food has actually spoiled, observe the odor, visual appearance, texture, and flavor; if any of these seem abnormal or questionable, it should be discarded. If the ready-to-eat food smells, looks, feels, and tastes okay, it is generally safe to eat.
To encourage donations to the food-insecure, and to reduce food waste, the federal government passed the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. According to this act, “a person shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packing, or condition of apparently wholesome food or an apparently fit grocery product that the person donates in good faith to a non-profit organization for ultimate distribution to needy individuals.” (5) If interested in donating large amounts of food in your area, check with your local and state regulations for more information about the requirements and for resources to connect you to potential donation sites. In 2022, the 10 largest food banks in the U.S. had a combined “revenue” of $2.9 billion dollars from donated food that was distributed into the community. (6)
Both in large-scale food operations and in our own homes, we can reduce food waste, improve our global carbon footprint, and feed those in need simply by being mindful about our leftover food.
Click here for a printable version the information regarding food packaging dates.
Sources:
- FDA Food Code. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Public Health Service. Published January 18, 2023.
- US Food Safety and Inspection Service (2022, September 15). Food Safety Basics. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/foodsafety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/
- S.3324 – 117th Congress (2021-2022): Food Date Labeling. (2021, December 7). https://www.congress.gov/bill/117thcongress/senate-bill/3324
- USDA. Refrigeration and Food Safety. Food Safety and Inspection Service. Retrieved February 26, 2024, from https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/refrigeration
- Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1791, 1996. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/1791
- (2023, October 23). Food Bank News. The 10 Largest U.S. Food Banks, By Revenue. https://foodbanknews.org/which-foodbanks-are-the-largest-in-america/
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