Stop throwing away perfectly good meat by making common mistake: scientists

Scientists are rethinking the dates consumers see on food packaging — and their research could help reduce not only food waste but also economic losses and environmental impacts tied to discarded food.“The average American wastes more than 1,000 pounds of food each year,” according to Auburn University researchers.Part of the reason is that sell-by dates are overly conservative, the researchers said in a news release announcing their work to predict spoilage more accurately. The findings could help consumers make more informed decisions about food safety while reducing unnecessary waste throughout the supply chain.“This research is far more significant than a discussion about meat discoloration or shelf life,” Darin Detweiler, a food safety policy expert and professor at Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies, told Fox News Digital.“It is an example of how data, microbiology and artificial intelligence may help transform food systems from managing failure after it occurs to predicting and preventing inefficiencies before they happen,” he said.

(Detweiler was not involved in the new research.The Auburn study focuses on meat sell-by dates, which are commonly used by retailers to indicate how long products should remain on store shelves.A change in color doesn’t necessarily mean meat is unsafe to eat.Sell-by dates for meat are typically four days after packaging, the news release said. They’re “based on when the beef will start to lose its bright pink color, rather than when it becomes unsafe to eat.”A change in color doesn’t necessarily mean meat is unsafe to eat, however.“If a consumer sees that on day three their meat is brown, and it’s around the ‘sell by’ date, they might think it’s spoiled, but in fact it’s just quality degradation,” said Isabella Gafanha, an Auburn master’s student who was involved in the research.

“It’s still fine to eat.”The Auburn researchers used a machine to track ...