The USDA now says you may not need to throw away the expired food in your fridge.

Seems the sell by date on certain foods may just be a suggestion, cause a USDA spokesperson now says a product that expires on May 1st, could actually be good for another 12 to 18 months, adding that throwing these "expired" foods away is really just contributing to food waste in America!

Americans end up throwing away nearly 36 pounds of food a month and expiration dates could be to blame. So in an effort to lower this number, the USDA and EPA are teaming up with the US Food Waste Challenge and launching an app that gives you a better idea of how long your foods can last.

A new app that gives you specific storage times for food kept in your pantry, fridge and freezer

It's called FoodKeeper and the real expiration dates for everything from baby food to condiments are in there. FoodKeeper can help you plan your shopping trips and meal plans too!

The new app is designed to give you specific storage times for food kept in your pantry, fridge and freezer, so that you know when everything you have is really going bad. Plus the app will send your phone alerts that the milk is going to spoil or beans are going belly up, so you know to use them before you lose them! Awesome!

I know I'm never really sure if something's gone bad or not, so this sounds to me like a super helpful app! I think I'd actually download this one. How about you?

More From WFHN-FM/FUN 107