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Can Food Waste Policies Promote Sustainability?: Relationships of Food Date Label Policies with Food Waste and Safety Outcomes

Author

Listed:
  • Balca Alaybek

    (The MITRE Corporation, 7515 Colshire Drive, McLean, VA 22102, USA)

  • Grace Mika

    (The MITRE Corporation, 7515 Colshire Drive, McLean, VA 22102, USA)

  • John A. Aitken

    (The MITRE Corporation, 7515 Colshire Drive, McLean, VA 22102, USA)

  • Rob Hartman

    (The MITRE Corporation, 7515 Colshire Drive, McLean, VA 22102, USA)

  • Julia Painter

    (The MITRE Corporation, 7515 Colshire Drive, McLean, VA 22102, USA)

  • Emily M. Broad Leib

    (Food Law and Policy Clinic, The Harvard Law School, 1585 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA)

  • Regan Plekenpol

    (Food Law and Policy Clinic, The Harvard Law School, 1585 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA)

  • Joseph S. Beckmann

    (Food Law and Policy Clinic, The Harvard Law School, 1585 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA)

  • Laura Leets

    (The MITRE Corporation, 7515 Colshire Drive, McLean, VA 22102, USA)

  • Amber Sprenger

    (The MITRE Corporation, 7515 Colshire Drive, McLean, VA 22102, USA)

Abstract

Food waste is a major contributor to climate change and a barrier to environmental sustainability. As such, reducing food waste is estimated to be one of the most promising strategies to reverse global warming. One way to address food waste is to implement effective policies, which requires an understanding of the impact of current policies on food waste and other relevant outcomes. The current study examined the impact of United States (U.S.) states’ date label policies on food waste and foodborne illness. We found that states with more date label restrictions had greater waste, but this effect was not significant. In addition, date label restrictions and foodborne illness were not related. This shows that current date label policies do not help to reduce food waste or improve public health. In other words, current U.S. state food waste policies do not promote sustainability. We discuss the implications for date label policy content and offer future research directions.

Suggested Citation

  • Balca Alaybek & Grace Mika & John A. Aitken & Rob Hartman & Julia Painter & Emily M. Broad Leib & Regan Plekenpol & Joseph S. Beckmann & Laura Leets & Amber Sprenger, 2025. "Can Food Waste Policies Promote Sustainability?: Relationships of Food Date Label Policies with Food Waste and Safety Outcomes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-17, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:6:p:2630-:d:1613712
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Juliane Jörissen & Carmen Priefer & Klaus-Rainer Bräutigam, 2015. "Food Waste Generation at Household Level: Results of a Survey among Employees of Two European Research Centers in Italy and Germany," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-21, March.
    2. John A. Aitken & Amber Sprenger & Balca Alaybek & Grace Mika & Halene Hartman & Laura Leets & Ellyn Maese & Telli Davoodi, 2024. "Surveys and Diaries and Scales, Oh My! A Critical Analysis of Household Food Waste Measurement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-18, January.
    3. Yu, Yang & Jaenicke, Edward C., 2021. "The effect of sell-by dates on purchase volume and food waste," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    4. Garrone, Paola & Melacini, Marco & Perego, Alessandro, 2014. "Opening the black box of food waste reduction," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 129-139.
    5. Wilson, Norbert L.W. & Miao, Ruiqing & Weis, Carter S., . "When in Doubt, Throw It Out! The Complicated Decision to Consume (or Waste) Food by Date Labels," Choices: The Magazine of Food, Farm, and Resource Issues, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 34(01).
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