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VIDEO: On House floor, Pingree calls for reform of sell-by dates

Pingree's Food Recovery Act aims to reduce food waste

Pingree's Food Recovery Act aims to reduce food waste

  
On the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives today, Congresswoman Pingree called for a reform in the way food is labeled with 'sell-by' dates.

"Every day in kitchens across this country, someone pulls a can of soup out of the cupboard or a box of pasta off the shelf, looks at the "best-by" date on the package, and tries to decide whether to throw it out or not," Pingree said. " Too often, perfectly good food gets thrown out—contributing to the 40% of all food that is wasted every year in this country. And much of it ends up in a landfill, where it produces methane—a potent greenhouse gas.  My bill has nearly two dozen proposals to reduce food waste, including a provision that would require manufacturers who do put a date on their food to include the words "Manufacturers suggestion only."
 
Earlier this week Pingree introduced the Food Recovery Act (H.R. 4184)—a comprehensive bill containing nearly two dozen proposals to reduce food waste, including a plan to reform the "best by" dates on food packages.

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