Spoiler Alert! Nearly 500 goods at Waitrose will no longer have Best Before dates starting in September.
We will be removing best-before dates from a variety of fresh products, including citrus fruits, salad items, vegetables and indoor plants
The move is part of our commitment to help our customers reduce food waste at home by 2030
From September, Waitrose will remove the best-before dates on nearly 500 fresh products, including root vegetables, fruits such as grapes, citrus, and apples, as well as indoor plants.
The removal of best-before dates is designed to reduce the volume of food waste occurring in UK households by inviting customers to use their own judgment.
Marija Rompani, Director of Sustainability & Ethics, John Lewis Partnership, comments, “Food waste continues to be a major issue, and, in the UK alone, 70% of all food wasted is by people in their own homes. UK households throw away 4.5 million metric tons of edible food every year, meaning that all the energy and resources used in food production are wasted.
By removing best-before dates from our products, we want our customers to use their own judgment to decide whether a product is good to eat or not, which in turn will increase its chances of being eaten and not becoming waste.
By using up existing fresh food in our homes, we can also save on our weekly household food shop, which is becoming an increasingly pressing concern for many.”
“The objective builds on our existing commitment to help our customers reduce their food waste by 2030. By working with WRAP to bring this initiative to life, we’re delighted to help our customers play their own role in tackling this global issue.”
In the UK, best-before dates are designed to showcase food quality for customers rather than safety, i.e., food is at its best before this date, but it should still be OK to eat after this date has passed.
Customers are encouraged to use their judgment to check the quality of food before consuming it. ‘Use by’ dates will still be in place across products for safety. Eating food after its ‘use by’ date (‘unless it has been frozen on or before its use by date) could result in food poisoning.
Catherine David, Director of Collaboration and Change at WRAP, says, “Wasting food feeds climate change, and it costs people money. Best Before dates on fruit and vegetables are unnecessary and create food waste because they get in the way of people using their judgement when food is still good to eat.
We are absolutely delighted by this move from Waitrose, which will help stop good food from ending up in the bin. We estimate that removing dates from fresh fruit and vegetables could save the equivalent of 7 million shopping baskets of food from the bin, which is huge!
There is loads more that we can do to tackle food waste together. For fresh produce, it’s also really important to store it in the fridge and knock the temperature down to below 5°C. WRAP found that apples last more than two months longer when refrigerated, and broccoli two weeks longer.
Love Food Hate Waste can help with ways to avoid food waste, save money, and fight climate change.”
Packaged fresh products that will be removed by the best-before dates include:
Lettuce
Cucumber
Peppers
Potted herbs
Salad Onions
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Celery
Potatoes
Root vegetables
Brassica vegetables
Leeks
Melons
Pineapples
Apples
Pears
Citrus: oranges, Lemons, and limes
Plums
Grapes
Exotic fruits
Indoor and outdoor plants
Top tips to reduce food waste
Plan your meals
Making a plan not only makes life easier, but it also saves money and helps use everything up. When you plan your meals, think about how one meal will feed into the next and how your store, cupboard, and freezer can reinvigorate leftovers.
Make a list
Before you go shopping, make a shopping list and stick to it. This stops you from buying things you don’t need (which often end up in the trash). Take a photo of your fridge to remind you of what you already have as you wander around the aisles.
Don’t shop on an empty stomach
If you’re hungry, you’re more likely to impulse-buy treats that you don’t need (and that could end up in the bin).
Stock the store-cupboard
Assemble a store-cupboard of spices, herbs, cans and carbs to help you turn today’s leftovers into tomorrow’s lunch
Make leaves last
Rocket or other dark green leaves can be frozen fresh and added to sauces and stir-fries and wilted, just as you would use spinach.
Freeze cheese
Cut it into small portions or grate some into a container before freezing, ready to top lasagnes and other tray bakes.
For more top tips, visit https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/content/inspiration/at-home-with-us/more-stories/reduce-food-waste
For further information about Waitrose’s plans to tackle food waste, please visit https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/content/about-us/sustainability/food-waste
