[D] TED-Ed: Food Expiration Dates Don't Mean What You Think

LET'S UNLOCK WORDS AND PHRASES 🔐

edible

[ 'ed-uh-buhl ]

adjective

- suitable or safe for eating

The fruit may look bruised, but it's still edible.

incentivize

[ in-'sen-ti-vahyz ]

verb

- to make someone want to do something

The company offers bonuses to incentivize employees to meet their targets.

offender

[ uh-'fen-der ]

noun

- a person who is guilty of a crime

He was caught speeding and was issued a ticket for being a traffic offender.

federal

[ 'fed-er-uhl ]

adjective

- relating to the central government, and not to the government of a region, of some countries such as the U.S.

The federal government is responsible for creating national policies and laws.

interpret

[ in-'tur-prit ]

verb

- to decide what the intended meaning of something is

Can you help me interpret the instructions on this manual?

LET'S TAKE A LOOK! [ FULL CLIP ]

What is the video all about? Choose two statements that refer to the main ideas of the video.

1. The USDA recommends consuming or freezing meat within days of purchase.

2. Food waste is a significant issue globally, with the United States being a major contributor.

3. Removing date labels on produce has been proven to increase consumer confidence in assessing freshness.

4. Date labelling on food products is often misleading and does not necessarily indicate food safety accurately.

LET'S PRACTICE-SCRIPT COMPLETION

A. First Cut

Direction: Watch the first cut of the video and complete the following lines below with the missing words. Write or type down your answers while listening.

⏱ 00:19 - 1:04

"Countries around the world waste huge amounts of food every year, and the United States is one of the worst . "
" Thirty seven percent of US food waste comes from . "
"And roughly 20% of those food items are tossed because consumer aren't sure how to the dates they're labeled with."
"Before the 20th century, the path between where food was produced and where it was eaten was much ."
"Most people knew how to freshness using sight, smell, and touch."

B. Second Cut

Direction: Watch the second cut of the video and complete the following lines below with the missing phrases.

⏱ 3:08 - 4:10

"In a 2019 survey of over 1,000 Americans, more than 70% said they use date labels to decide if food is . "
" To avoid all this waste, many experts to require that labels use one of two standardized phrases. "
"This solution isn't perfect, but some US researchers estimate that setting these standards at a could prevent roughly 398,000 tons of food waste annually. "
"Grocers could also try removing date labels on produce, as several US supermarket chains have done to encourage consumers to use their . "
"Many experts also advocate for policies incentivizing grocers and restaurants to . "

LET'S DO THE CHALLENGE-Comprehension Questions

Direction: Answer the following questions below based on the video.

What percentage of surveyed Americans said they use date labels to determine food edibility?
a. Over 50%
b. Over 70%
c. Over 60%
What do many experts propose to reduce food waste?
a. A ban on date labels for all food products
b. A requirement that all food be sold without expiration dates
c. Standardized phrases like "best if used by" and "use by"
How much food waste could be prevented annually by setting federal labeling standards?
a. Around 398,000 tons
b. Around 500,000 tons
c. Around 1 million tons
What action have some US supermarket chains taken to encourage consumers to rely on their judgment?
a. Offering free food safety training to shoppers
b. Providing detailed expiration charts
c. Removing date labels from produce
What is another policy experts recommend to reduce food waste?
a. Encouraging grocers and restaurants to donate unsold food
b. Mandating that consumers buy food in smaller portions
c. Banning restaurants from serving leftovers