Well, that would be the reason if they were legally required to do so, but Baby Food is the only product in the US legally required to have an expiration date.
So, all the other food manufacturers voluntarily put expiration dates on, and they want you to buy more food, so the date on most packages is functionally meaningless
Even if similar markings are not required by law everywhere in the USA, food manufacturers are probably afraid of getting sued due to violating local laws, or even international laws if the food is transported across borders, so it’s probably negligent to neglect printing them.
Well, that would be the reason if they were legally required to do so, but Baby Food is the only product in the US legally required to have an expiration date.
So, all the other food manufacturers voluntarily put expiration dates on, and they want you to buy more food, so the date on most packages is functionally meaningless
I don’t know about today, but in the past New Jersey required that “expiration dates” be stamped on bottled water: https://nj1015.com/does-bottled-water-expire-nj-was-the-only-state-that-thought-so/
Even if similar markings are not required by law everywhere in the USA, food manufacturers are probably afraid of getting sued due to violating local laws, or even international laws if the food is transported across borders, so it’s probably negligent to neglect printing them.