Co-op is to remove the best before dates from 150 fruit and vegetable lines in an effort to cut food waste and help shoppers save money.
The changes will come into effect later this month (February) with best before dates removed from all of Co-op’s fresh produce including: apples; oranges; tomatoes, carrots; potatoes; onions and broccoli, with the exception of a small number of the more perishable products, or where it can be harder to use visual cues and judgement to establish the suitability to consume.
Adele Balmforth, propositions director at Co-op, said: “As we face into a climate, environmental and cost-of-living crisis we are committed to helping our customers cut food waste in the home and save money. Date codes can drive decisions in the home, and result in good food being thrown away - which has a cost to both people and to our planet. In addition to axing best before dates on fresh fruit and vegetables, our inclusion of storage instructions can also help products last longer and, sits alongside our simple on-pack message for shoppers - ‘If it still looks good enough to eat, it is!”
Product life testing by WRAP shows that fruit and veg can be good to eat well beyond the best before date when stored in optimal conditions, including: broccoli – where the difference between the best before date and the first sign of deterioration was found to be 15 days; potatoes – where the difference was 20 days and, apples – which was in excess of 70 days.
WRAP data also shows that date codes can drive consumer behaviour on deciding when to dispose of fresh produce. So, alongside the removal of best before dates, Co-op is also introducing on-pack guidance to highlight the optimum storage conditions to prolong product life.
This follows a small-scale trial last year, with other food waste prevention initiatives introduced such as a ‘freeze me’ message to its own brand milk products and the scrapping of ‘use-by’ dates from all of its own-brand yoghurts, replacing them with best-before dates.
Catherine David, director of collaboration and change at WRAP, praised the Co-op for the changes. “We’re delighted to see the Co-op continue to take action to reduce household food waste, saving customers money and conserving the planet’s precious resources,” she said. “We know from our research that removing the date labels on fruit and veg will help people throw less good food in the bin. And the on-pack information which Co-op will be introducing that outlines the best storage conditions to prolong product life will be an invaluable tool for people wanting to make the most of the food they buy. The average family spends £700 year on good food which ends up in the bin – moves like this from the Co-op help to change that.”
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