Labels are notoriously over-cautious, and often inaccurate. And they clearly aren’t doing much to reduce food waste. America throws away about 40% of everything it produces .

None of this is to say that organic labels or foods are bad. Organic foods—especially those with the right labels—will often have lower levels of pesticides, growth hormones, and antibiotics ...

Countries that have adopted clear food labels have seen the health benefits. Researchers explain how a new system to alert South African consumers to unhealthy choices was developed.