Roast date is a marketing tactic

Coffee aficionados will tell you that one of the best ways to significantly improve the quality of your cup of joe is to buy beans that have been roasted no longer than a week or so.

Generally the sooner the better.

That said, if every bag of coffee on the shelf at the market posted this, more people would consider buying beans that were roasted sooner, and a ratchet would kick in.

More knowledge would lead to more demand, and soon all the dated stuff would never sell.

Of course, coffee manufacturers know this. Which is why unless your in a specialty store, you’ll rarely find coffee with the roast date listed.

On the flip side, it's a huge incentive for roasteries or premium coffee manufacturers, because the people buying from them are seeking out the freshest beans available. It’s better to keep your customers up to date, because otherwise they’ll buy elsewhere.

One method isn’t necessarily better. Different people value different things. But the choice is worth highlighting: you can be as transparent as possible (as a means to building trust) or choose omission (to maximize profits).

More informed, more open, or less?