Organic waste targeted in UK by date labeling guidance

Around 5.3 million tonnes of food waste produced in the UK is avoidable and one of the causes is confusion over date labeling, including 'sell-by' and 'display until' dates used by shops for stock rotation. Guidance launched today by Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) states that food packaging should only carry either a 'use-by' or 'best before' date. Retailers should find alternate ways to manage stock control as 'sell-by' labels should be removed, it said. It is hoped the updated guidance will ensure the right date marks are used on food labels to make it easier for shoppers to know when food is safe to eat. It said that 'use-by' labels should be used where the food could be unsafe after that date, including soft cheese, smoked fish and ready-prepared meals. Environment secretary comment Caroline Spelman, environment secretary, said: "We want to end the food labelling confusion and make it clear once and for all when food is good and safe to eat. This simpler and safer date labelling guide will help households cut down on the £12 billion worth of good food that ends up in the bin.” Liz Redmond, head of hygiene and microbiology at the Food Standards Agency, said: "There is a lot of confusion among customers about date marks. A number of different dates can be found on our food, so we need to make sure that everyone knows the difference between them. We always emphasise that “use by” dates are the most important, as these relate to food safety." Industry reaction The British Retail Consortium (BRC) however defended retailers' use of 'display until' and said Defra should instead focus efforts on helping customers understand different food labels. Andrew Opie, food director at the BRC, said: "If the government really wants to make a difference to reducing food waste it should be educating consumers about the two basic terms – use-by and best-before. This system is carefully used by retailers and it isn't complicated." He added: "Helping consumers understand that food past its best-before date can still be eaten or cooked could contribute to reducing food waste and saving people money. The government should be spreading that message, not focusing on retail practices." The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) meanwhile said confusion remains among consumers. Barbara Gallani, director of food safety and science, said: “FDF fully supports the continued use of 'use by' and 'best before' date marking as these provide very valuable information for consumers on product safety and quality and we encourage our members to apply best practice when deciding on the most appropriate labelling for a specific product." However, as research from WRAP [Waste & Resources Action Programme] suggests, shoppers are still confused by the difference between 'use by' and 'best before', meaning that there is a significant challenge around consumer understanding." For more information on the updated food labelling guidance, click here. ###