A lot of this issue has been caused by junk science.
The NYTimes reports:
No question many foods had longer shelf life when preservatives, salt and trans fats were in greater use. none of these additives caused any harm, but junk science-fueled activists pressured the government and weak-kneed food processors to remove them. increased food cost and more food waste is the result.
In other news, US school children continue to dispose of edible but unpalatable food forced upon them by Michelle Obama’s ‘army’ of cafeteria workers. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/school-lunch-fruits-and-veggies-often-tossed-in-trash-study-finds/
Meanwhile, in West Texas, women were fired for taking leftovers home from the school lunch program instead of tossing it in the trash.