Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Co-op have introduced a major change across all of their stores in the UK. To help cut down on food waste, major supermarket chains are removing best-before dates from some products.
The popular UK supermarkets have all decided to remove the dates from various items, including fruit and vegetables. The decision to remove certain date labels from food packaging aims to reduce unnecessary waste caused by confusion over expiry terms. Many consumers mistakenly believe that food is unsafe to eat after the “best before” date, leading them to throw away items that are still perfectly edible.
According to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), eliminating these dates could prevent thousands of tonnes of food from being wasted each year, reports the Daily Echo.
To help clarify the issue, High Speed Training has outlined the difference between “use by” dates, which relate to safety, and “best before” dates, which refer to quality.
The move supports better understanding and more sustainable consumption habits.
Dr Richard Anderson, head of learning and development at High Speed Training, said: “Use by dates indicate when a product may no longer be safe to eat.
“You should not eat, cook or freeze it after the date displayed, even if it looks or smells fine. Use by dates are typically present on meats and dairy products, as well as ready meals like salads. Always follow the storage instructions on the product (usually refrigeration or freezing).
“Otherwise, it may no longer be good to eat, even before its use by date.”
He explained that eating food after its “use by” date can be dangerous because harmful bacteria may be present even if the food looks or smells fine, potentially leading to food poisoning. In contrast, “best before” dates are focused on the quality of the food, such as taste and texture, rather than safety.
Dr Anderson said: “You can still eat food after its best before date, but its flavour and texture is most likely not as good as before the date. Best before dates are usually displayed on products that do not require refrigeration or freezing, such as dry pasta, bread, tinned products, fruits and vegetables and uncooked rice.
“They are also often found on products with a longer shelf life.”
