On Monday, July 27, politifact.com reviewed “Last Week Tonight’s” 7/19/15 story on food waste, government regulation, and expiration date labels. The HBO news-satire show included research and quotes from Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC) on its 2013 report, The Dating Game. They conducted their own research into the claims made by the show’s host, John Oliver, and interviewed FLPC’s director Emily Broad Leib for further insight to the issue.
Politifact’s Rating
“Oliver said, ‘With the exception of baby formula, the federal government does not require any food to carry an expiration date, and state laws vary widely.’
While Oliver’s underlying argument for more regulation can be debated, he’s right to say that the federal government doesn’t require expiration dates on food, and state laws filling in that gap are inconsistent.
We rate his statement True.”
