Tesco is to remove ‘Best Before’ dates from nearly 70 fruit and vegetable lines in an effort to reduce food waste.

The decision follows a recent survey showing less than half of respondents understood the meaning of ‘Best Before’ dates, the multiple said.

However, more than 70% of people polled in the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI) survey correctly identified the meaning of ‘Use By’ labels.

Tesco head of food waste, Mark Little, said: “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.”

David Moon, head of business collaboration at environmental charity WRAP, said: “Through the Courtauld Commitment 2025, WRAP is working with the food & drink sector to review all the evidence on date labelling for fresh produce and agree best practice.

“This change by Tesco provides a good opportunity to learn about the customer response, and we anticipate Tesco will share their findings.”