Aldi UK To Replace ‘Use By’ With ‘Best Before’ Dates For Fresh Milk SKUs
Aldi UK is taking steps to reduce food waste by replacing ‘use by’ dates with ‘best before’ dates on its fresh milk products (excluding filtered milk) across its stores in England and Wales. The supermarket chain aims to initiate this change by the end of the year.
This move comes as a response to the substantial amount of milk wastage in the UK, with nearly 300,000 tonnes discarded by households annually, half of which is attributed to the ‘use by’ date, according to waste reduction organization WRAP.
Aldi hopes to encourage consumers to rely on a ‘sniff test’ to assess milk’s quality before discarding it. Milk can still be safely consumed beyond the ‘best before’ date if stored properly and without any unpleasant odor.
Liz Fox, Aldi UK’s Sustainability Director, expressed the retailer’s commitment to enhancing sustainability and minimizing food waste, both within its stores and by aiding customers in reducing waste at home.
She stated, “We are constantly working to be a more sustainable retailer and we are dedicated to preventing food waste wherever we can, both in our stores and helping customers throw away less food at home.
We hope shoppers embrace this change and look, smell, and taste their milk to see if it’s still fine to use, so together we can reduce the effect food waste has on the environment.”
The discontinuation of ‘use by’ dates is part of Aldi UK’s comprehensive approach to curbing food waste and contributing to its target of halving waste by 2030.
The retailer has already eliminated ‘best before’ labels from approximately 60 fresh fruit and vegetable items, such as apples, pears, citrus fruits, potatoes, carrots, and onions.
Earlier in 2023, Aldi partnered with the food waste prevention app Too Good To Go to offer “magic bags” containing groceries approaching their shelf life’s end for a reduced price. Each bag contains items worth at least £10 and is sold for £3.30.
In addition, Aldi has introduced clear caps on its milk bottles to enhance recyclability.
