Food waste is a big issue in America, but it’s not only because people aren’t finishing their meals at restaurants. A large portion of food thrown out is food that people feel unsafe eating— because the date on the box was yesterday’s. Unfortunately, these dates do not always reflect safety, can mean a number of different things and sometimes are even just made up by the manufacturing companies. These arbitrary dates are the only reason perfectly good food is being thrown out and often the label simply means that after the date, the food doesn’t taste as fresh. So, for this project, I will be taking a closer look at the different types of expiration dates and what they mean, how much food waste is caused by them, and what we can do about it. With the labels’ text varying greatly (best if used by, expires on, etc.) and each one meaning something different, it is difficult for consumers to know what exactly the label means.
The two different media objects I will create are going to be an infographic that visually shows current data on food waste and an animated video (created with After Effects) that explains the current labeling system. The two will work together to show the user that food with a date from yesterday does not always mean that it belongs in the trash. That knowledge alone can cut down the amount of food waste drastically, so I will focus on making this message clear, informative and impactful.
Ever throw out food because of the label? @99piorg explains that the date doesn’t mean spoiled. #foodwaste#expiredhttps://t.co/Wgfs43mz4d
— Alyssa Karnes (@ankarnes93) April 5, 2016
Every day grocery stores have employees toss out perfectly edible food with yesterday’s date #eattrash #foodwaste #expired
— Alyssa Karnes (@ankarnes93) April 5, 2016
40% of food produced in America never gets eaten #eattrash #foodwaste
— Alyssa Karnes (@ankarnes93) April 5, 2016
41 states require #datelabels on at least some foods. But there is no consistency in how they are labeled. #foodwaste#eattrash
— Alyssa Karnes (@ankarnes93) April 5, 2016
#FoodSafety experts cannot pinpoint a single instance of food poisoning caused by eating a food past its date label. #foodwaste #eattrash
— Alyssa Karnes (@ankarnes93) April 6, 2016