Story highlights Liz Goodwin: Figuring out what the "best by" or "use by" dates mean on food is confusing

This has led to a significant amount of food waste and even an impact on climate change, she writes

Liz Goodwin is a senior fellow and director of food loss and waste at the World Resources Institute and former CEO of Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP). The opinions expressed in this commentary are hers.

(CNN) In this season of festive eating -- and festive provisioning -- we often have a tricky time planning meals, juggling all the things in our fridge and making sure everyone has a good time and enjoys the food we cook. I know that even in my house, all the date labels on food can cause confusion. What's the difference between them all? Is the food still safe to eat if it's getting close to one of the dates? Can I use it to feed my friends and family?

We all often err on the side of caution because we don't really know the difference between the different types of labels. As a result, it's often the case in the United Kingdom — and I'm sure it's the same in the United States — that food gets tossed from home cupboards when it passes its "best by" date.

In the United Kingdom, for example, more than half the avoidable household food waste occurs when people buy too much and then don't use it before it spoils or before the date on the label, according to surveys by the Waste and Resources Action Programme, or WRAP.

Part of the problem is confusion over what date labels on food actually mean.

There are only two date labels food shoppers need to make intelligent choices, and only one of these labels should be on each product. These are "use by" and "best by."

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