To tackle the rising cost of living issue by decreasing waste, Sainsbury’s has joined rivals in eliminating “best before” labels from a variety of fresh food.
In an effort to reduce yearly home food waste by 11,000 tonnes, or 17 million items, citrus fruits, pears, onions, and tomatoes will be sold without date labels beginning at the end of August.
The judgment will have an effect on more than 230 items in total. There are currently 1,500 more food products without date markings, such as apples, pumpkins, and pineapples.
In order to offer consumers greater control over whether something is safe to eat, Sainsbury’s will also remove “use by” dates from 46 of its own-brand yoghurts and replace them with “best before” dates.
According to studies by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (Wrap), up to 54,000 tonnes of yoghurt are wasted each year, and up to 70% of consumers cite the date label as the main justification for tossing away often unopened tubs of yoghurt.
The decision was made in the midst of astronomical increases in the cost of living in the UK, where poor households are now facing an increase in yearly food costs of £454.
Back in 2018, Tesco was the first retailer in the UK to put the reforms into effect. In more recent times, the policy has also been implemented by Asda, Lidl, Waitrose, and Marks & Spencer.
Tesco was the first retailer in the UK to implement the changes back in 2018. More recently, Asda, Lidl, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer have also introduced the policy. Pictured: A tub of grapes from Marks & Spencer without a best before date
In the 12 weeks leading up to July 10, prices for milk, butter, and dog food skyrocketed by almost 20% when compared to the same time previous year.
The initiative, according to Kate Stein, Director of Technical at Sainsbury’s, would enable consumers to save money by extending the value of their grocery budget.
According to her, “the improvements we’re introducing… provide consumers greater liberty to choose if their food is healthy to eat.”
Most food waste ends up in landfills, where it produces methane gas, which is responsible for up to 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
In response to the rising cost of living, Ms. Stein said Sainsbury’s action demonstrated a dedication to minimizing waste and assisting consumers.
On fresh food affected by the changes, date tags will be replaced with a new label that reads, “No date helps decrease waste.”
The choice was made in response to a research published by Wrap that showed certain fruits and vegetables may be consumed up to 10 weeks beyond their best-before dates if stored properly.
According to the research, keeping cucumbers and broccoli at 4°C improved their shelf life by 15 days, while storing apples in the refrigerator increased their shelf life by 70 days.
Fruits and vegetables would keep fresher for longer and consumers would have much longer to utilize what they bought if they put more fresh food in the refrigerator and kept the temperature below 5°C, the research found.
File photo of shoppers in a Sainsbury’s supermarket. The supermarket is the latest to scrap ‘best before’ dates on fresh produce
Additionally, Sainsbury’s (pictured) will replace the “use by” dates on 46 of its own-brand yogurts with “best before” dates to offer consumers greater control over whether or not to consume the product.
A “best before” date just provides a reference as to when food is at its freshest for eating, unlike a “use by” date, which is connected to food safety.
When food hits the “best before” date, many consumers will throw it.
Although the flavor and texture may vary beyond the best before date, according to Dr. Christian Reynolds, Senior Lecturer in Food Policy at City University of London, the food is still safe to consume.
Knowing when to utilize something depends on the label
After this date, the food is still safe to consume, although it may not be at its finest.
Even if the food smells OK, use-by food should not be consumed beyond this date.
He advised utilizing sensory clues to determine if the item was safe to ingest.
He suggested checking for visible mold on bread, tasting to see if crisps or biscuits are stale, or sniffing or smelling any dairy items with a best by date to determine whether they have soured.
Following Waitrose and Marks & Spencer’s removal of “best before” dates from hundreds of fresh products and Tesco’s pioneering removal of them from more than 100 items in 2018, Asda announced last week that it intended to do the same for almost 250 fresh fruit and vegetable products starting on September 1.
Morrisons, meanwhile, revealed plans to do away with “use by” dates on milk in January and to urge customers to do a “sniff test” to assess if it is safe to eat.
According to Fraser McKevitt, director of retail and consumer research at Kantar, the UK is now seeing the second-highest rate of food inflation since 2008.
People now have to pay an extra £454 per year for groceries due to the roughly 10% rise in supermarket prices.
When compared to the same time in 2021, prices for milk, butter, and dog food increased by up to 20% in the 12 weeks leading up to July.
According to recent industry statistics from market analysts Kantar, the prices of burgers, halloumi, and coleslaw are all 13%, 17%, and 14% more than they were at the same time last year.
Costs associated with the manufacturing of food have increased due to supply chain challenges and labor pressures, which are now being passed on to consumers.