Dive Brief:
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Arizona is on the verge of changing the sell-by date on Grade A shell eggs from 24 to 45 days, according to an AP story posted by Food Manufacturing. Grade AA eggs would still have a 24-day sell-by date.
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The bill's sponsor, state Rep. Jill Norgaard, R-Phoenix, said she finds the state's sell-by rules for eggs too strict and that at least 2 million eggs have been tossed out as a result. She also said the change could mean cheaper prices if egg producers from outside Arizona had more time to bring in their products.
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A local food safety expert said that switching some egg sell-by dates to 45 days should not cause any health problems. Sadhana Ravishankar, a University of Arizona food microbiologist and associate professor, told AP, "When it comes to use-by, sell-by or best-if-used-by dates, these are there much more for quality purposes, not so much for safety."
Dive Insight:
Expiration dates on food items have caused much consumer confusion over the years, especially since the U.S. has no standardized system. Right now, 10 different date labels are used on packaging, including Sell By, Use By, Expires On, Best Before, Better if Used By or Best By.
According to Dana Gunders, senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council and author of the "Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook," most Americans have a tough time understanding these labels and are throwing out food too soon, which adds to the almost $162 billion in food waste annually.
Attempts have been made in Congress to federally mandate just two labels — "Best if used by" when shelf-stable items are at top quality and "expires on" for perishable foods such as meat, fish and eggs. However, a proposed bill introduced in 2016 never got sufficient traction to pass.
Norgaard's bill appears to be headed for final passage before going to Arizona's governor, possibly next week. There was some opposition from one lawmaker, who said most people buy Grade AA eggs and changing the sell-by window for Grade A wouldn't matter to the average shopper.
The initial push for the proposal came from the Arizona Retailers Association, which sees no compelling reason to dump eggs after 24 days on the shelf. Also on board are Walmart, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a free-market group called Americans for Prosperity.
There may not be any pressing safety reason not to extend the egg sell-by date by another three weeks, although most consumers may perceive quality and freshness issues with older ones. In Europe, eggs typically aren't even refrigerated. They also aren't washed, sanitized and required to be kept cold, but that's mainly due to operational differences designed to reduce salmonella contamination. However, no producer in any country wants to take the chance of sickening someone just to sell more eggs, and a potential recall or lawsuit isn't worth the risk.
If Arizona makes this change, waste may be reduced and egg prices, currently near record highs, may come down. But if any illnesses or other problems result, lawmakers could reverse course in a hurry.