The Government has announced plans to scrap sell-by and ‘best before’ dates on most food labels in a bid to tackle Britain’s food waste mountain.

The Department for the Environment Farming & Rural Affairs claimed the labelling revamp would help reduce the 364,000 tons of edible food misguidedly binned by Britons each year because it has passed its ‘best before’ date.

Ministers claimed consumers were being confused and misled by current labelling information, recommending that products carry only a ‘use-before’ label as a healthy safety guideline.

“It’s time for a new war on waste,” environment secretary Hilary Benn told Sky News Online.

“We need to make better use of everything we produce, from food to packaging, and the plans I’m setting out over the next few days will help us to achieve that. We all have a part to play, from businesses and retailers to consumers.”