The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety changed the food date labeling method from the expiration date to the consumption date as of the 1st. The consumption deadline refers to the deadline for consumers to actually consume food, which is judged to be healthy even if they eat food. Originally, the expiration date, which means the period during which distribution and sales are allowed to consumers from the date of food manufacture, was used, but it was changed due to its effectiveness, such as the international trend of using the expiration date and its contribution to realizing carbon neutrality.
(Picture from Unsplash)
A positive effect of the expiration date labeling system is that it can reduce food waste due to the expiration of the distribution period in a social aspect. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's "Welcome Changes Starting with the Expiration Date" data, if food waste is reduced due to the introduction of the expiration date labeling system, corporate benefits will be 26 billion won and annual consumers will be 886 billion won. In addition, the benefits are not one-time, but continuous benefits that can be expected to reduce food waste disposal costs and reduce carbon emissions.
However, while there is a positive aspect of the system, experts say that the backlash from the subject that adds cost loss and safety risks is inevitable.
First of all, it is the food industry that needs to make food right away. Food companies have already expressed concerns at a meeting with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety held in July last year over the expiration date indicator. Food companies said, "Because sales vary by product, the inventory of packaging materials is different, and the time it takes for products to run out is all different," adding, "If it is implemented as scheduled from January this year, a large amount of packaging will be wasted." In other words, it was a measure to solve environmental problems, but it could result in pollution of the environment.
It is also argued that the introduction of the consumption deadline could lead to a prolonged cycle of consumers purchasing food, which could lead to undesirable losses for companies. In other words, if inventories increase, the circulation of demand and supply slows, which acts as an industry burden.
Several food companies said on the phone with Updown News, "There is a guidance period, so companies have a preparation period. There are some areas that have been applied in the lead since last year. He explained, "I don't think processed foods will be affected by the food purchase cycle, but there may be problems where fresh foods are handled."
In addition, safety issues cannot be overlooked. In particular, many dairy farmers and dairy industries say that Korea's thorough management of food safety is due to its application of the expiration date. In the case of dairy products, there is a possibility of milk deterioration in the distribution process, resulting in industrial and consumer health problems, and some worry that consumers will raise problems with manufacturers when applying the consumption deadline.
An official from an oil company said in a telephone interview with this magazine, "It is important to apply the consumption deadline. To prevent consumer confusion, the product packaging will be replaced and applied by the first half of the year, he said. "If it changes, it should be refrigerated 100% during distribution, but we are careful because the responsible material can be borne by the manufacturer."
The distribution industry, which has to store and sell products, is also in trouble. From the perspective of retail and distributors, losses could increase if the time it takes for consumers to repurchase increases. In addition, the convenience store industry is in an important position to choose a manufacturer in that it decides to dispose of products according to the consumption deadline set by food manufacturers.
Some argue that they are also not free from food hygiene issues. In order to manage products according to the expiration date, it is important to optimally maintain the storage environment such as temperature so that food freshness can be maintained. However, since time and economic costs are spent to establish such a system, there is a burden for companies. In addition, large retailers such as large discount stores and convenience stores are likely to maintain the storage temperature intact, but if the storage temperature is not constant in places operated by small companies, it may not be easy to refrigerate and freeze food.
It is the same for consumers to be anxious. Although the deadline for consumption has increased, there is a risk that freshness of some foods such as dairy products may not be guaranteed. It is concerned that companies may sell old products under the pretext of expiration dates.
In fact, A (61), a housewife living in Nowon-gu, Seoul, said, "Some marts store products outdoors due to lack of warehouses, but wouldn't it be uncomfortable to have hygiene or food deterioration as the deadline has been extended?"
Even consumers don't seem to be used to the expiration date yet. According to the Korea Food Communication Forum on the 8th of last month, a team led by Professor Yang Sung-beom of the Department of Environmental Resource Economics at Dankook University said in a paper titled "A Study on Consumer Perception and Improvement of Food Expiration." According to an online survey of 977 consumers between August and September 2021, 52.9% of consumers said they would buy and eat products that have passed the expiration date at marts. 6.2% of the respondents said they would consume expired foods. If the expiration date has passed, it should not be consumed regardless of the storage status of the product, but this is the result of proving that consumer awareness is still lacking. If such active public relations and institutional awareness education are not prioritized, consumer confusion could come even greater.
Experts believe that the early implementation of the consumption deadline needs to be supplemented, promoted in advance, and educated. Institutional supplementation, such as raising the efficiency of distribution site management by setting the consumption deadline somewhat conservatively, and listing the expiration date, is also emerging as an alternative to minimizing consumer confusion. The retail industry and consumers are paying keen attention to whether the expiration date, which will be implemented for the first time since the expiration date was introduced in 1985, can be well established in the consumer market through some controversy.
Writer: Yeyoung Jeon
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