80% of Consumers Support It... What Is the Consumption Period Labeling System?

81.9% of Consumers Positive About Implementation of Expiration Date Labeling
"It Can Reduce Reckless Food Waste"

Starting this year, the food consumption period labeling system has been fully implemented, and it was found that 8 out of 10 consumers agree on the necessity of the system. However, there are also significant concerns about whether the system will be properly followed as expected.

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On the 3rd, market research firm Embrain conducted the ‘2023 Consumer Period Labeling System Awareness Survey’ targeting 1,000 adults aged 19 to 59 nationwide, and 81.9% of respondents answered that they support the implementation of the consumption period labeling system.

The consumption period refers to the period during which food, etc., can be consumed without any issues when stored under appropriate conditions. It is generally set by estimating 80-90% of the ‘quality safety limit period,’ which is the maximum period during which there is no significant quality change and the food can be safely consumed. The expiration date refers to the period from the manufacturing date during which the product can be distributed and sold to consumers, which is about 60-70% of the quality safety limit period.

The main reason for supporting the introduction of the consumption period labeling system was that 82.3% of respondents felt reassured because a definite period during which the food can be safely consumed was established. Additionally, 80.5% of respondents answered that cases of discarding food due to uncertainty or discomfort would decrease, indicating a positive evaluation that clearly labeling the edible period can reduce indiscriminate food waste.

However, while deeply agreeing on the necessity of the consumption period labeling system, respondents also showed significant anxiety. As many as 93.1% answered that “although food should never be eaten after the consumption period, some people might still eat it thinking 1-2 days past the date is okay, similar to the expiration date.” Furthermore, 91.8% expressed concern about whether restaurants and other establishments would properly adhere to the consumption period, showing that public attitudes toward the consumption period labeling system are marked by both hope and apprehension.

Moreover, a large majority of respondents, 89.3%, evaluated that the consumption period labeling system has not yet been adequately promoted. In fact, the proportion of people who clearly recognize the consumption period labeling system slightly increased from 36.7% a year ago to 42.3%, but only 55.4% of consumers felt familiar with the system, which is about half. Additionally, 76.4% of respondents felt that it might be somewhat confusing if only the consumption period is labeled without the expiration date.

The introduction of the consumption period labeling system also brought changes in perceptions of the expiration date. First, the opinion that “food past the expiration date can cause illness if eaten” decreased from 65.6% a year ago to 61.7%. The view that “food past the expiration date should be considered spoiled” dropped from 52.3% to 47.2%, and the perception that “food past the expiration date must be discarded” also declined from 56.0% to 50.1%. This suggests that fewer consumers confuse the expiration date with the edible period or equate it with the consumption period compared to before.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.