Japan and South Korea to adjust food identification methods

Not long ago, Japan adjusted the “taste limit” (ie, “best expiration date”) labeling method for bottled beverages and seasonings with a shelf life of one year or more, and changed the labeling method from the “year, month, and day” to the label only. "years". This is also to reduce food waste and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Japan has two methods for labeling foods. The "consumption period" is often used for foods that begin to spoil after about five days of production, such as milk and lunch boxes. The "best edible period" is generally used for foods with a shelf life of more than 3 months. In fact, many foods that have passed the “best edible date” have not deteriorated. There is also an unwritten rule in supermarkets in Japan: once the food display exceeds 1/3 of the “best edible date”, it must be removed from the shelf or returned or discarded. In other words, if the "best period of consumption" is 3 months, then it will be 2 months before it is processed. An estimate by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan pointed out that if this is changed, only foods such as drinks and snacks can save about 40,000 tons of food each year.

There are three types of dates for South Korea’s packaging of goods, namely, circulation deadlines, consumption deadlines, and quality assurance deadlines. As the name suggests, the period of circulation is actually the time limit for commodities to be traded in the market. This is the legal deadline for malls and other circulation companies to sell the commodities. Assuming that food does not deteriorate within 5 days, the food has a circulation period of only 2 to 3 days. Even if the circulation period expires, the quality of the food is not a problem. However, at this time, the product can no longer be sold but can only be returned to the factory.

With the accusation of a waste of the circulation period, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Welfare of Korea began to promote the common identification of the expiration date and circulation deadline date in July 2012, and it was officially popularized one year later. Now Korea's food is marked with both the circulation date and the consumption date, and the future consumption date will gradually replace the circulation date.

In Korea, some foods that can be stored for a long period of time under proper storage conditions have special quality guarantee periods. These foods include convenience foods, canned foods, jams, and alcoholic beverages. Even if they are stored for a long period of time, they will not degenerate. Therefore, the quality assurance period can be applied to reduce waste caused by exceeding the expiration date.