// Sainsbury’s to begin removal of best before date on 100 product lines immediately, with more to follow
// The grocery retailer becomes the latest supermarket chain to take dates off packaging
Sainsbury’s is to remove best before dates from 276 own brand fresh produce in a bid to reduce food waste.
The lines include pears, onions, tomatoes, and citrus fruits from over 100 product lines, and a further 130 products including potatoes will follow.
The move builds on the work Sainsbury’s has done in recent years to remove dates from over 1,500 lines including, pineapples, pumpkins, apples and indoor plants.
These upcoming changes could help UK households to save 11,000 tonnes of food each year, the equivalent of 17 million products according to figures calculated by Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) based on the impact removal of best before dates has on household waste.
An on-pack message ‘no date helps reduce waste’ will instead be present across the fresh produce.
A recent report from industry body WRAP revealed that removing date labels from the most wasted fresh produce items such as, broccoli, apples, potatoes and cucumber, has the potential to cut annual household food waste by 50,000 tonnes.
Additionally, Sainsbury’s will switch all ‘use by’ dates on own-brand yoghurts to ‘best before’ dates by the end of this year in a move which will affect 46 product lines.
READ MORE: Asda ditches best before dates on 200 fresh fruit and veg products
These changes come as part of the retailer’s ongoing commitment to halve its food waste by 2030 and support its ongoing work with farmers and growers to reduce food waste in its supply chain
It sends surplus food from stores to charity food donation partners and recovers energy from waste.
In the last year, Sainsbury’s has donated over five million meals to those in need through its partner, Neighbourly. The retailer is now expanding the service to its convenience stores.
Kate Stein, director of technical at Sainsbury’s, said: “We know that around a third of all food produced for human consumption is either lost or wasted and food waste is one of the leading contributors of carbon emissions, accounting for a staggering 8-10% of GHG emissions globally, which is why we’re committed to helping customers reduce waste at home.
“We also know that by avoiding unnecessary waste, we can help our customers save money by making their food shop last longer.
“The changes that we’re announcing will do just that, giving customers more autonomy to make their own decisions on whether their food is good to eat, and preventing them from disposing of food too early.”
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