Sainsbury’s changes date labeling on 276 products...

On 30 August 2022, Sainsbury’s announced major changes to date labeling on 276 private label products as part of its effort to reduce food waste.

“Best before” dates removed from fresh produce

From the end of August, “best before” dates will be removed from over 100 fresh produce lines, including pears, onions, tomatoes and citrus fruits. A further 130 products, including potatoes, will follow. In recent years, Sainsbury’s has removed best before dates from over 1,500 lines, including pineapples, pumpkins, apples and indoor plants.

“Use by” dates replaced with “best before” dates on yoghurts

“Use by” dates will be replaced with “best before” dates on private label yoghurts by the end of 2022. This change will apply to 46 product lines.

Supported by on-pack messaging

For products affected by date label changes, an on-pack message will read “no date helps reduce waste”.

Decisions informed by data

Sainsbury’s decisions are supported by data from Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidelines and its own testing.

• A recent report from WRAP showed that removing date labels from fresh produce items that experience the most waste (including broccoli, apples, potatoes and cucumber) has the potential to avoid 50,000 tonnes of food waste.

• WRAP research found that 54,000 tonnes of yoghurt is wasted annually. For 70% of this, date code was cited as the reason for waste and 50% of waste came from unopened packs.

• Based on stringent testing, Sainsbury’s concluded that its yoghurt is safe to consume beyond its expiration date. Under the new “best before” labeling, shoppers are given autonomy to make their own decisions on whether the product can still be consumed.

Reducing carbon emissions while helping shoppers save money

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 today 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. With changes like these, together, we can all play our part in tackling the climate crisis and protecting the planet for generations to come.”

Check out our Sainsbury’s and Waste and sustainability hubs for related content.