Gen Z and millennials are discarding food long before it actually spoils – and even ahead of the dates printed on the packaging – a new Harvard study reveals.
The research, which analysed data from over 2,000 participants, shows that this behaviour applies to any label, be it “best before”, “use by” or “display until”. While “best before” dates are intended solely for quality control rather than food safety, many consumers are increasingly dependent on them – sometimes misunderstanding their true purpose, according to Harvard researchers.
Expressing concern at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual conference in Boston, Massachusetts, Prof Emily Broad Lieb, the founding director of the Harvard Law School food law and policy clinic, stated:
“We found the youngest consumers were most likely to rely on date labels. They were most likely to think all the labels are safety dates and to throw food away at the date.”
The study found that younger generations, particularly Gen Z (currently aged between 13 and 28, born between 1997 and 2012) and millennials (aged 29–44, born between 1981 and 1996), lean heavily on food date labels when deciding whether to discard food. In contrast, older generations tend to rely on their own senses – employing time-tested techniques such as the sniff test for milk – and use their judgement more effectively.
Indeed, across all age groups, 43 per cent of respondents reported always or usually discarding food before its use-by date, a rise of six percentage points since 2016. Experts believe that younger consumers have lost the knack of using their senses to determine food safety, resulting in an over-reliance on dates instead of checking the food’s appearance, aroma, or taste.
Reflecting on the disconnect between modern living and traditional food practices, Prof Broad Lieb commented:
“There are people who didn’t have [date labels] when they started buying food. I think the further we get away from people having a role in growing, harvesting or producing food, the more people look at it like any manufactured good. They have less understanding of what they should be looking at.”
In the UK, date labels have been on packaging since 1970, when Marks and Spencer introduced use-by dates on select items. Yet despite decades of use, the public’s reliance on these labels continues to grow. Almost 10 million tonnes of food are wasted each year in the UK, with much of it still perfectly edible – a stark reminder of how misinterpretation of date labels contributes to this waste.
The data also indicates that the likelihood of premature disposal varies with the type of food. While consumers tend to be most cautious with items such as raw chicken and milk, they are far less apprehensive about consuming lettuce or cereal after its best before date. Prof Broad Lieb noted:
“People were the most cautious with raw chicken, which is actually something that we’re going to cook, so there should be less risk.”
Dr Lara Ramdin, an expert in food waste and a scientist at the Upcycled Food Association, urged younger people to re-engage with their senses:
“As humans we rely on that statement of use by, consume by or best before, and we have forgotten to use our senses. I don’t want to encourage people to eat unsafe food, but I do want to encourage them to look at food, smell food and taste food. If you’ve got a canned good and it’s two, three or four years old, it’s going to be safe, it’s just probably not going to taste as good.”
Dr Ramdin further lamented the loss of culinary skills among younger generations, who often struggle with using leftovers or planning meals. “We don’t plan meals, we over-buy, we’ve forgotten how to cook, and we don’t know how to use leftovers,” she explained, highlighting a key source of food waste when people stare into their fridges, unsure of what to do next.
The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) continues to warn that foods carrying a use-by date – such as raw meat, poultry, fish and dairy – present a higher risk of food poisoning. In Britain, shops label foods with either a use-by date, indicating safety, or a best before date, signalling a decline in quality. The FSA advises:
“Never eat food after the use-by date, even if it looks and smells OK, as it could make you very ill. You can eat food until midnight on the use-by date shown on a product, but not after, unless the food has been cooked or frozen. After the best before date listed on a product, the food will be safe to eat but may not be at its best.”
This study shines a light on a worrying trend: as younger generations become increasingly distanced from traditional food practices, their reliance on date labels is fuelling unnecessary waste – and, potentially, a lack of understanding about food safety.
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