TELL CONGRESS: PASS THIS BILL TO COMBAT THE WORST KIND OF FOOD WASTE

Our country throws away roughly 35% of its total food supply each year. That amounts to a colossal waste of vital resources -- tens of millions of acres of agricultural land, over 5 trillion gallons of water, and enough energy to power 50 million U.S. homes for a year. And with so many Americans going hungry, it’s clear we need to take stronger action to combat food waste.

The bipartisan Food Date Labeling Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, would establish an easily understood food date labeling system: one clear phrase to communicate that the quality of the food product may begin to deteriorate after a certain date, and another to mark the date after which the product should not be consumed. Given that date label confusion creates wholly unnecessary and avoidable food waste, this legislation would be a big step toward tackling our food waste problem.

I urge you to help ensure we pass the Food Date Labeling Act this session of Congress.