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Tesco scraps ‘best before’ labels from fruit and veg to reduce preventable food waste

The hit features samples of well known phrases such as "unexpected item in bagging area": PA Wire/PA Images
The hit features samples of well known phrases such as "unexpected item in bagging area": PA Wire/PA Images

Tesco has revealed plans to remove ‘best before’ labels from scores of fruit and vegetable products in a bid to prevent food being unnecessarily thrown away.

The supermarket said it made the decision to remove the labels after a survey revealed most customers do not understand what they actually mean.

Tesco said the policy change will apply to nearly 70 fruit and vegetable products “to help prevent perfectly edible food from being thrown away”.

“We know some customers may be confused by the difference between ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ dates on food and this can lead to perfectly edible items being thrown away before they need to be discarded,” Tesco’s head of food waste, Mark Little, said.

The supermarket said it aims to reduce food waste (AFP/Getty Images)
The supermarket said it aims to reduce food waste (AFP/Getty Images)

“We have made this change to fruit and vegetable packaging as they are among the most wasted foods.

“Many customers have told us that they assess their fruit and vegetables by the look of the product rather than the ‘Best Before’ date code on the packaging.”

A recent campaign by the National Federation of Women’s Institutes found that less than half of people understood the meaning of ‘best before’ dates.

Most people understand what ‘use by’ labels mean but are confused by ‘best before’, which are put on foods as a quality indication to show products may no longer at their best are still good to eat.

It is the latest policy in a list of changes to reduce food waste (Getty Images)
It is the latest policy in a list of changes to reduce food waste (Getty Images)

The Food Standards Agency states that “the best before date, sometimes shown as BBE, is about quality and not safety. The food will be safe to eat after this date but may not be at its best.”

The products which will have the labels removed include apples, potatoes, tomatoes, lemons and other citrus fruit and onions.

Tesco previously committed to reducing food waste and, in 2016, launched its ‘Perfectly Imperfect’ range of wonky fruit and vegetables – selling produce outside supermarket specifications at lower prices.

The food giant also donates surplus food to local charities and community groups.