Black Immigrant Daily News

As awareness grows around the world about the problem of food waste, one culprit, in particular, is drawing scrutiny: “best before” labels.

Manufacturers have used the labels for decades to estimate peak freshness. Unlike “use by” labels, which are found on perishable foods like meat and dairy, “best before” labels have nothing to do with safety and may encourage consumers to throw away food that’s perfectly fine to eat.

“They read these dates and then they assume that it’s bad, they can’t eat it and they toss it, when these dates don’t actually mean that they’re not edible or they’re not still nutritious or tasty,” said Patty Apple, a manager at Food Shift, an Alameda, California, nonprofit that collects and uses expired or imperfect foods.

To tackle the problem, major UK chains like Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer recently removed “best before” labels from prepackaged fruit and vegetables. The European Union is expected to announce a revamp to its labelling laws by the end of this year; it’s considering abolishing “best before” labels altogether.

In the US, there’s no similar push to scrap “best before” labels. But there is growing momentum to standardize the language on date labels to help educate buyers about food waste, including a push from big grocers and food companies and bipartisan legislation in Congress.

“I do think that the level of support for this has grown tremendously,” said Dana Gunders, executive director of ReFED, a New York-based nonprofit that studies food waste.

The United Nations estimates that 17 per cent of global food production is wasted each year; most of that comes from households. In the US, as much as 35 per cent of food available goes uneaten, ReFED says. That adds up to a lot of wasted energy — including the water, land and labour that goes into the food production — and higher greenhouse gas emissions when unwanted food goes into landfills.

There are many reasons food gets wasted, from large portion sizes to customers’ rejection of imperfect produce. But ReFED estimates that 7 per cent of US food waste — or 4 million tons annually — is due to consumer confusion over “best before” labels.

Date labels were widely adopted by manufacturers in the 1970s to answer consumers’ concerns about product freshness. There are no federal rules governing them, and manufacturers are allowed to determine when they believe their products will taste best. Only infant formula is required to have a “use by” date in the US.

Since 2019, the Food and Drug Administration — which regulates around 80 per cent of US food — has recommended that manufacturers use the labels “best if used by” for freshness and “use by” for perishable goods, based on surveys showing that consumers understand those phrases.

But the effort is voluntary, and the language on labels continues to vary widely, from “sell by” to “enjoy by” to “freshest before”. A survey released in June by researchers at the University of Maryland found at least 50 different date labels used on US grocery shelves and widespread confusion among customers.

“Most people believe that if it says ‘sell by,’ ‘best by’ or ‘expiration,’ you can’t eat any of them. That’s not actually accurate,” said Richard Lipsit, who owns a Grocery Outlet store in Pleasanton, California, that specializes in discounted food.

Lipsit said milk can be safely consumed up to a week after its “use by” date. Gunders said canned goods and many other packaged foods can be safely eaten for years after their “best before” date. The FDA suggests consumers look for changes in colour, consistency or texture to determine if foods are all right to eat.

“Our bodies are very well equipped to recognize the signs of decay when food is past its edible point,” Gunders said. “We’ve lost trust in those senses and we’ve replaced it with trust in these dates.”

Some UK grocery chains are actively encouraging customers to use their senses. Morrisons removed “use by” dates from most store-brand milk in January and replaced them with a “best before” label. Co-op, another grocery chain, did the same to its store-brand yoghurts.

It’s a change some shoppers support. Ellie Spanswick, a social media marketer in Falmouth, England, buys produce, eggs and other groceries at farm stands and local shops when she can. The food has no labels, she said, but it’s easy to see that it’s fresh.

“The last thing we need to be doing is wasting more food and money because it has a label on it telling us it’s past being good for eating,” Spanswick said.

But not everyone agrees. Ana Wetrov of London, who runs a home renovation business with her husband, worries that without labels, staff might not know which items should be removed from shelves. She recently bought a pineapple and only realised after she cut into it that it was rotting in the middle.

“We have had dates on those packages for the last 20 years or so. Why fix it when it’s not broken?” Wetrov said.

Some US chains — including Walmart — have shifted their store brands to standardised “best if used by” and “use by” labels. The Consumer Brands Association — which represents big food companies like General Mills and Dole — also encourages members to use those labels.

“Uniformity makes it much more simple for our companies to manufacture products and keep the prices lower,” said Katie Denis, the association’s vice president of communications.

In the absence of federal policy, states have stepped in with their own laws, frustrating food companies and grocers. Florida and Nevada, for example, require “sell by” dates on shellfish and dairy, and Arizona requires “best by” or “use by” dates on eggs, according to Emily Broad Lieb, director of the Food Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School.

The confusion has led some companies, like Unilever, to support legislation currently in Congress that would standardize US date labels and ensure that food could be donated to rescue organisations even after its quality date. At least 20 states currently prohibit the sale or donation of food after the date listed on the label because of liability fears, Lieb said.

Clearer labelling and donation rules could help nonprofits like Food Shift, which trains chefs using rescued food. It even makes dog treats from overripe bananas, recovered chicken fat and spent grain from a brewer, Apple said.

“We definitely need to be focusing more on doing these small actions like addressing expiration date labels, because even though it’s such a tiny part of this whole food waste issue, it can be very impactful,” Apple said.

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By DEE-ANN DURBIN Associated Press Business Writer. AP writers Kelvin Chan and Courtney Bonnell in London and APs video journalist Terry Chea in Alameda, California contributed to this report.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Selah Marley, the granddaughter of reggae legend Bob Marley, has come under fire for wearing a ‘White Lives Matter’ T-shirt at rapper Kanye West’s fashion show on Monday.

But the 23-year-old model has fired back at her critics, arguing that no one can “coax her” or “bully me into being who you want me to be”.

Marley is the daughter of singer Lauryn Hill and Rohan Marley, Bob Marley’s son.

Since photographs and videos of her wearing the Kanye West-designed shirt went viral, Selah has been the subject of much backlash online.

She also posted a video showing herself talking and joking with Kanye West, who recently changed his rap name to ‘Ye’.

Selah captioned the video, “Love you Kanye West”, and subsequently posted three videos in total, which showed her wearing the controversial item, further adding fire to the rage among online users.

The criticisms are due to the ‘White Lives Matter’ slogan being associated with the Ku Klux Klan and anti-Black sentiments in the US.

The slogan also contrasts that of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, which was formed to promote the cause of racial equality for African Americans.

The young Marley’s wearing of the T-shirt was largely viewed by social media users as going against her grandfather’s lyrics, as his songs have been used as a mantra for primarily black persons fighting against injustice globally

“I absolutely expect this from Kanye, but Selah Marley has disgraced the name and memory of her grandfather Bob Marley and everything her mother stands for,” wrote one Twitter user.

Added the Twitter user: “He (Bob Marley) was the world’s black freedom fighter. If you don’t know, her mother is the legendary Lauryn Hill.”

Another user of that platform wrote: “The fact that Kanye had Selah MARLEY walk in that shirt disturbs my soul on a greater level.

“Bob Marley was a black revolutionary who spoke about injustice through his music. That legacy shouldn’t be entangled with mess.”

Responding on Tuesday to the fury she purportedly generated, Selah took to her Instagram Story, where she disclosed: “The past 24 hours has allowed me to realise that most of y’all are stuck in a hive mind mentality.”

Continuing, she said: “You do what the group tells you to do and think what the group tells you to think.

“Witnessing someone break free from ‘the agenda’ sends you all into such a panic that you will do whatever it takes to force them back into the box that you feel they should exist in.

“All morale and empathy is eliminated due to the fact that you feel justified by your emotions. The victim becomes the victimizer.”

To her critics, Selah said: “You cannot bully me, manipulate me, or coax me into silence. Nor will you bully me into being who you want me to be.

“I don’t care how many tweets you make, DMs you send, or articles you write.”

The young Marley explained further that “nothing” she does is without “deep thought and intention”, and she will be speaking soon on her experience.

“Throughout all of the chaos, I have yet to speak on my experience. If you know me, you know that nothing I do is without deep thought and intention. Wait till you hear what I have to say,” she concluded.

In a follow-up post on her Instagram Stories, Selah appeared to have messaged Kanye.

Posting a screenshot of the message, Selah captioned it by stating: “I think he’s sleeping, but I’m ready for us to have the conversation.

“Tell @kanyewest to text me when he wakes up so we can continue to move this conversation forward & provide the necessary clarity, depth & healing that we are collectively in need of. Love you guys regardless.”

Selah, in her message to the American rapper, said: “I think that what we did has obviously created a lot of conversation and I would like us to continue that conversation.

“I love taking risks and embracing freedom, but in this case, I think we can continue to discuss the depth behind our decisions to show the purity of our intentions and provide healing to our community.

“Love you so much. Let’s keep this going – in a healthy way.”

The messages and subsequent postings from the young Marley proved to do little to soothe the outrage among social media users, primarily among black Americans.

“The miseducation of Selah Marley,” said one user, whose tweet was seemingly a reference to Selah’s mother’s Grammy Award-winning album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

“She totally didn’t understand her grandpa’s assignment. #redemptionsong. She forgot who she came from #bobmarley #freeyourselffrommentalslavery…,” tweeted another.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The seasons are changing and so is your skin, maybe.

After a summer of tanning or jet-setting to destinations with stinging golden rays, many people are now a shade or two darker as Fall starts. It’s soon time for your colour gradient to settle in – especially for the colder climates.

Once again, ‘Bad Gal RiRi’ has come to save her Navy in crisis. Fenty Beauty mogul, Rihanna, dropped Pro Filt’r Foundation minis so her guys and gals can remain flawless as their shade transitions with the season.

“These little minis are so convenient because my shade tends to change depending on the weather, how much sun I had or how little sun I had, so sometimes I like to walk with a few of these when I’m a little warmer or a littler cooler,” said Rihanna in a video posted on the Fenty Beauty Instagram on Tuesday, October 4.

The beauty and fashion icon shook the beauty industry in September 2017 when she launched the Pro Filt’r Foundation in 40 shades – the Foundation now carries up to 50 shades.

Rihanna sent a loud message to the industry with Fenty Beauty – she understood the importance of inclusivity. The impact of the Longwear Liquid Foundation was undeniable. Not only did it cater to darker tones, but it was also lauded by those with the lightest shades, including those with albinism.

According to Rihanna, the minis are on fentybeauty.com, and will also be available at Boots.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Rédaction web
Mercredi 5 Octobre 2022 – 18h04

 Suite aux nombreuses casses intervenues sur le réseau d’approvisionnement en eau potable, le Conseil départemental a décidé d’accompagner la réalisation de travaux par la Région en mobilisant le stock stratégique de matériel (canalisations, boulons, anneaux) dont dispose le département pour réaliser les travaux d’irrigation agricole.

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