Sainsbury’s to remove best before dates from hundreds more products

The grocer, which has already removed best before dates from more than 1,500 lines, will do so on a further 276 products across fruit, vegetables and dairy. 

From the end of August, Sainsbury’s will begin removing the dates from 100 items including onions, tomatoes, citrus fruits and pears, with more to follow later in the year. 

Sainsbury’s will also switch from use-by dates to best before dates on all of its own-brand yoghurts. 

The dates on fresh produce will be replaced by a “no date helps reduce waste” message on packaging.

The supermarket giant, which had already removed dates from products including apples, pineapples, pumpkins and indoor plants over the past few years, said the additional changes could help UK households save 11,000 tonnes of food every year.

It comes after a report from the climate action charity WRAP revealed that removing date labels from the most wasted fresh food items like broccoli, apples, potatoes and cucumber could cut annual household waste by 50,000 tonnes. 

Sainsbury’s is the latest grocer to axe more best before dates, after Morrisons, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer all unveiled similar moves to help customers reduce waste. 

Sainsbury’s director of technical Kate Stein 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 greenhouse gas 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.”

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