UK- Asda has joined a drive among supermarkets by removing “best before” dates off nearly 250 fresh fruit and vegetable goods to assist consumers in reducing waste and saving money.
The British supermarket chain will remove the notes from food such as citrus fruits, potatoes, cauliflower, and carrots in all of its UK locations.
Asda will offer advice online, on the packaging, and other recommendations for minimizing food waste.
To ensure the excellent quality and freshness of the hundreds of products affected by the change, a new code will be printed on the packaging and utilized by store employees.
Over 250 stores will also have specialized greengrocers who have received training on Asda’s fresh produce operation and the best places to store goods to maintain freshness.
Asda’s head of technical, Andy Cockshaw, said: “Reducing food waste in our business and in customers’ homes is a priority and we are always looking at different ways to achieve this.
“We know for customers this has become more important than ever in the current climate as many families are struggling with the cost of living crisis and are looking to make savings wherever they can.”
The second largest chain of supermarkets in the UK, Sainsbury’s has also informed its customers that it will be moving the expiration dates on a number of items.
The announcement comes after statements from Waitrose earlier this month that it was removing such warnings off 500 fresh food goods.
Multinational retailer, Marks & Spencer also said that it had done the same with 300 lines of fruit and vegetables in July.
The second largest chain of supermarkets in the UK, Sainsbury’s has also informed its customers that it will be moving the expiration dates on a number of items.
The store will make adjustments to 276 of its own brand products and various dairy items, fresh produce, and fruits will no longer have expiration dates.
The mega-grocer will also make significant adjustments to its own-brand yogurts as a result of extensive testing showing that yogurts can be used after their expiration date.
The labels won’t have a best-before date that is valid through the end of the calendar year.
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.”
She noted that food waste is one of the leading contributors to carbon emissions, accounting for a staggering eight to 10 percent of GHG emissions globally, which is why they are committed to helping customers reduce waste at home.
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