bread use by date label

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  • Wrap said that if stored correctly, food can be safely eaten days, weeks, or even years past the date

  • It estimates that best before dates are associated with food waste of 180,000 tonnes a year

 

Wrap has issued new guidance in a bid to prevent thousands of tonnes of food being wasted in the coronavirus outbreak, despite a huge increase in donations to redistribution charities.

The guidance urges businesses, redistribution organisations and charities to “look beyond” best before dates, saying that if stored correctly food can be eaten days, weeks, or even years past the date and still be safe.

The move comes amid concern at the huge volumes of food going to waste in the outbreak, despite attempts to re-divert food from crippled hospitality and foodservice sectors to those at risk of hunger.

Wrap’s guidance says that no food surplus should go to waste, and redistribution should include more good-quality food beyond the best before date, estimating that even before the crisis kicked in best before dates were associated with food waste of 180,000 tonnes a year, worth £500m.

It cites products such as bread, which is safe to eat for days after such dates, or waffles and crisps, which last for weeks, biscuits and cereals (months), and even years in the case of dried pasta and canned food

Meanwhile, there is no legal requirement for fresh, uncut fruit & vegetables to carry any date label.

Wrap said while many businesses and redistribution organisations did include food approaching or past best before dates, it believed the practice could be greatly increased, and that much more food could reach those who needed it most.

“Food businesses are doing an incredible job ensuring that food which cannot be sold at this time moves around the supply chain to feed people, and isn’t wasted,” said Wrap director Peter Maddox.

“The law states that all food with a best before date can be sold, redistributed and consumed after that date, as long as it’s still good quality, but we appreciate that isn’t understood by all, or universally implemented. So, our aim is to make this common practice.”

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