Man: A 2013 report published by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic noted that $900 million in food was thrown away by retailers in 2001, because the date listed on the product had expired. Those date labels often refer to the date until which the product will retain its highest quality, not necessarily the day after which the food is no longer safe to eat.

That same report confirms that the FDA's center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition has noted that most foods, when kept in optimal storage conditions, are safe to eat and of acceptable quality for periods of time past the label date. Yet, even if freegans reclaim wasted food safely , and are mindful of their health, why would people who can afford to buy food choose to dig it out of the trash?