ASDA will remove best before dates on fresh fruit and vegetables

ASDA will remove best before dates on fresh fruit and vegetables from September 1 in order to help customers reduce food waste and save money.

The UK based supermarket will remove the dates from a host of 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 reveals 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 be replaced by a new code which will be used by store colleagues to ensure the highest quality and freshness is maintained supported by specialist green grocers in over 250 stores who have received training in all aspects of Asda’s fresh produce operation, including where products should be stored to maintain freshness and quality.

Asda is also providing additional guidance online and on packaging to help customers to understand how to best store and prepare fresh food as well as handy hints and tips on how to reduce food waste.

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.”

Globally, food waste is a significant contributor to climate change, accounting for 8 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions and in the UK alone, food waste is responsible for an estimated 36 million tonnes of GHG emissions every year, according to WRAP.

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