Asda to remove ‘best before’ dates on produce

Asda has announced plans to remove the ‘best before’ dates on almost 250 of its fresh fruit and vegetable products as a way to help customers reduce food waste and save money.

It is reported that from 1 September, the supermarket will remove the dates from packaged fruit and vegetable products including citrus fruits, potatoes, cauliflowers, and carrots, across all of its UK stores.

The change comes as research from the climate action group, WRAP, revealed that the average family throws away £60 worth of food and drink each month. By removing ‘best before’ dates and encouraging customers to decide themselves if the food is edible, Asda aims to reduce food waste in the home, and in the process, save customers money.

The dates will reportedly be replaced by a new code to be used by store employees “to ensure the highest quality and freshness is maintained”. 

In addition, Asda is also providing extra guidance online and on packaging to “help customers understand how to best store and prepare fresh food”, as well as handy hints and tips on how to reduce food waste.

It is reported that in the UK alone, food waste is responsible for an estimated 36 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) every year, according to WRAP.

Asda aims to be a zero waste business, with the removal of best before labels being just one way the company is targeting a 20% reduction in waste by 2025. 

Andy Cockshaw, head of technical at Asda IPL, 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.”

Catherine David, director of collaboration and change at WRAP, said: “We are delighted by this development from Asda to help tackle food waste in our homes. We know that wasting food feeds climate change and costs us money. The influence of no date label or the right date label on what we use and what we throw away is huge. 

“It is great to see ASDA making these changes and we encourage their customers to check out ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ for tips on how to reduce food waste, save money and fight climate change. More supermarkets need to get ahead on food waste by axing date labels from fresh produce, allowing people to use their own judgement.”