Why Food Date Labels Don’t Mean What You Think

The dates printed on milk cartons are probably the six most misunderstood numbers in grocery stores… "We do have a state of confusion in terms of date labeling," says Donald Schaffner, professor of food science at Rutgers University. "Date labels primarily exist as a way for food manufacturers to communicate to their customers what to do or what to expect from the food product. There is not a lot of standardization."