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Dear Reverend,

My roommate is really uptight about expiration dates on food. He won't use anything if it's even slightly past the date on the package. I try to tell him that the food doesn't instantly go bad on that day, but he still throws it out. How can I make him understand he's wasting perfectly good food?

Wade S. Knott (man, 34)

Dear Wade S. Knott,

We all have pet peeves, but your buddy would be wise to work on getting over his because food waste is a huge problem in America. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than a third of available food in this country goes to waste. One of the contributing factors is that many people don't understand the date labeling on food.

Except for baby formula, the date on food packaging is not an indicator of the product's safety and is not required by federal law. Dates on any other kind of food are put there by the manufacturer to let consumers know when it's at the best quality. Most often, the food is safe to eat for a much longer time.

You can help your pal get a better read on the labels with these tips:

"Best by" or "Best if used by" tells you when the food has the best flavor, but it can still be safe to eat past this date.

A "use by" or "expiration" date is the last recommended day the product will be at its peak quality, but it can still be safe to eat past this date.

The "packing" or "manufacturing" date is used by manufacturers for tracking and not related to food quality or safety.

The "sell by" date is for the store to know how long to display the product for sale. It can still be safe to eat past this date.

Boxed, frozen or canned foods are good for up to one year beyond the listed date. Butter, cheese and eggs are fine for up to 30 days after the date. Dairy products are good for up to a week past the date. As a general rule, as long as something smells, tastes and looks OK, it most likely is.

If your roomie refuses to budge on his food date phobia, he should at least be willing to change his wasteful ways by donating the food rather than throwing it away. Whether that's to a food pantry, a friend or you, at least the food will wind up in someone's tummy and not the trash.

Good luck and God bless,

The Reverend