{"id":13248,"date":"2022-09-22T15:06:04","date_gmt":"2022-09-22T18:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/frogmi.com\/index.php\/why-best-before-food-labelling-is-not-best-for-the-planet-or-your-budget\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T12:23:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T15:23:23","slug":"why-best-before-food-labelling-is-not-best-for-the-planet-or-your-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frogmi.com\/en\/blog\/why-best-before-food-labelling-is-not-best-for-the-planet-or-your-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Why \u2018best before\u2019 food labelling is not best for the planet or your budget \u2192<\/span>"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Original Source<\/strong>: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/<\/a>\n\nUK supermarkets have removed \u201cbest before\u201d dates on thousands of fresh food products in an effort to reduce food waste.\n\nOne of the major supermarket chains, Sainsbury\u2019s, is replacing these labels with product messaging that says \u201cno date helps reduce waste\u201d.\n\nApples, bananas, potatoes, cucumbers and broccoli are among the most wasted foods. Removing \u201cbest before\u201d labels from these foods alone will reduce waste by an estimated 50,000 tonnes a year.\n\nIn Australia we produce 7.6 million tonnes of food waste every year \u2013 about 300kg per person. About 70% of what we throw out is still edible. Why aren\u2019t we following the UK\u2019s example?\n\nSome might worry about food safety. But two types of date labels \u2013 \u201cbest before\u201d and \u201cuse by\u201d \u2013 are used in Australia. \u201cUse by\u201d labels would still alert us to when food can no longer be regarded as safe to eat.\n\nAnd consumers will still be able to assess the state of fresh produce for themselves.\n

Food waste has huge impacts<\/h2>\nFood waste costs Australia A$36.6 billion a year.\n\nThis waste occurs right across the supply chain, including primary production, manufacturing, distribution, retail and hospitality. However, households produce more than half of the waste, at an average cost per household of A$2,000 to $2,500 a year.\n\nIn 2017, the Australian government pledged to halve food waste by 2030 when it launched the National Food Waste Strategy.\n\nThis is a complex issue, but one simple solution could be to follow the UK and remove \u201cbest before\u201d dates.\n

How will you know if food is still safe?<\/h2>\nOur labelling system is fairly straightforward, but many consumers don\u2019t understand the difference between \u201cbest before\u201d and \u201cuse by\u201d. This confusion leads them to throw away tonnes of food that\u2019s still suitable for eating.\n\nIn Australia, the regulatory authority Food Standards provides guidance for manufacturers, retailers and consumers on using dates on product labels. These dates indicate how long food products can be sold, and kept, before they deteriorate or become unsafe to eat.\n\nFood with a \u201cbest before\u201d date can be legally sold and consumed after that date. These products should be safe, but may have lost some of their quality.\n\nProducts past their \u201cuse by date\u201d are considered not safe.\n\nThe food supplier is responsible for placing date labels on the product.\n\nDifferences in packaging and date labelling can be subtle. For example, lettuce sold loose or in an open plastic sleeve does not have a \u201cbest before\u201d date. The same lettuce packaged in a sealed bag does.\n\nBread is the only fresh food that uses a different system with \u201cbaked on\u201d or \u201cbaked for\u201d date labels.\n\nSome foods, such as canned goods and food with a shelf life of two years or more, don\u2019t have to be labelled with \u201cbest before\u201d dates because they usually retain their quality for many years. They are typically eaten well before they deteriorate.\n\nFood producers and retailers are keen to keep the labelling status quo, because it makes it easier to manage stock and encourages turnover.\n

The case for packaging<\/h2>\nSome packaging is used to separate branded products such as fruit varieties protected by plant breeders\u2019 rights, organic products and imperfect vegetable ranges. Once packaged, these products require a \u201cbest before\u201d date.\n\nPlastic packaging can greatly increase the shelf life of some vegetables. In these cases, it effectively reduces food waste. A striking example is cucumbers. Plastic wrap can extend their shelf life from a few days to two weeks.\n\nVegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower contain beneficial anti-cancer compounds called glucosinolates. Plastic packaging that seals in specialty gas preserves these longer. However, overcooking quickly erases this packaging benefit.\n

Dead or alive?<\/h2>\nThe chemistry of a fruit or vegetable starts changing the moment it is picked. Some types of produce, such as bananas and pears, are picked early so they ripen in the shop and at home. Other produce, such as sweet corn and peas, rapidly decline in the quality and quantity of flavours and nutrients once they\u2019re picked. Snap freezing is an excellent way to preserve this produce.\n\nFresh fruits and vegetables are still alive. Their cells remain full of chemical reactions and enzymatic activity.\n\nThis is why a cut apple turns brown. It\u2019s also why ethylene gas released from bananas and other fruits can shorten the life of their neighbours in the fruit bowl.\n\nPotatoes, one of the most wasted products, are sold with \u201cbest before\u201d dates when packaged in plastic bags. But if stored correctly in low light and in a \u201cbreathable\u201d bag (paper or hessian), potatoes stay \u201calive\u201d and edible for months. Just make sure you cut away any green parts, which contain toxic solanine.\n\nAs well as fresh produce\u2019s own cellular activity, there is microbial activity in the form of bacteria and fungi.\n\nFortunately, we come equipped with a number of evolved chemical sensors. We can feel, see, sniff and taste the state of fruits, vegetables and other products. Trust (and train) your instincts.\n

Questions to ask yourself<\/h2>\nTo reduce food waste, we need a combination of approaches, including appropriate packaging, sensible labelling and consumer awareness.\n\nIdeally, the Australian and New Zealand Food Standards Code would be updated to reflect a more nuanced view of packaged fresh foods.\n\nIn the short term, consumer awareness and buying power are the best drivers of change. Ask yourself questions like:\n
    \n \t
  • Do I need a packaged product?<\/li>\n \t
  • Does the packaging enhance shelf life?<\/li>\n \t
  • Would I buy less if it wasn\u2019t packaged?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThinking about these questions will help us reduce the impacts of food waste.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    UK supermarkets have removed \u201cbest before\u201d dates on thousands of fresh food products in an effort to reduce food waste…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","post_audio":"","_pv_blog_destacado":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[150],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy \u2018best before\u2019 food labelling is not best for the planet or your budget - Frogmi<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/frogmi.com\/en\/blog\/why-best-before-food-labelling-is-not-best-for-the-planet-or-your-budget\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why \u2018best before\u2019 food labelling is not best for the planet or your budget\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"UK supermarkets have removed \u201cbest before\u201d dates on thousands of fresh food products in an effort to reduce food waste...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/frogmi.com\/en\/blog\/why-best-before-food-labelling-is-not-best-for-the-planet-or-your-budget\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Frogmi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-09-22T18:06:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-12T15:23:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@marketing-admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/frogmi.com\/en\/blog\/why-best-before-food-labelling-is-not-best-for-the-planet-or-your-budget\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/frogmi.com\/en\/blog\/why-best-before-food-labelling-is-not-best-for-the-planet-or-your-budget\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/frogmi.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/bb9267f3e597947a2c8d2333d75a349b\"},\"headline\":\"Why \u2018best before\u2019 food labelling is not best for the planet or your budget \u2192\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-09-22T18:06:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-12T15:23:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/frogmi.com\/en\/blog\/why-best-before-food-labelling-is-not-best-for-the-planet-or-your-budget\/\"},\"wordCount\":959,\"commentCount\":0,\"articleSection\":[\"Blog\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/frogmi.com\/en\/blog\/why-best-before-food-labelling-is-not-best-for-the-planet-or-your-budget\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/frogmi.com\/en\/blog\/why-best-before-food-labelling-is-not-best-for-the-planet-or-your-budget\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/frogmi.com\/en\/blog\/why-best-before-food-labelling-is-not-best-for-the-planet-or-your-budget\/\",\"name\":\"Why \u2018best before\u2019 food labelling is not best for the planet or your budget - 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