Why Expiration Dates Are Irrelevant

According to Business Insider, expiration dates are solely based on rough estimates and are not set in stone. A current report shows that because of expiration dates, Americans waste around 40% of the food they purchase annually, the equivalent of $218 billion. Instead of relying on sell-by dates, the best way to tell if a food is still good to eat isn't necessarily looking at the sell-by date printed on the package.