Sainsbury’s is shifting to best-before dates on own-brand milk to minimize food waste.
- 44 milk products, including fresh and organic, shift to best-before labels.
- Over 730 million pints will bear new labels in England, Scotland, and Wales.
- Follows data highlighting milk as UK’s third most wasted food.
- Aims to empower consumers to reduce needless milk disposal.
In a forward-thinking move, Sainsbury’s is transitioning from use-by dates to best-before dates on its own-brand milk products as part of a concerted effort to reduce food waste. This change impacts 44 different milk products, including fresh and organic milk, distributed across England, Scotland, and Wales. Annually, over 730 million pints of milk will display these new best-before labels.
Research conducted by the climate NGO, Wrap, underscores the critical nature of this initiative, revealing that milk ranks as the third most wasted food in the United Kingdom, with an alarming 490 million pints discarded each year. This waste frequently results from milk surpassing its use-by date, prompting this strategic shift by Sainsbury’s.
The differentiation between use-by and best-before dates is crucial for consumer understanding. Use-by dates are directly tied to food safety concerns, whereas best-before dates are associated with food quality. It is imperative for consumers to recognize that while products should not be consumed beyond their use-by date, food items with best-before dates can often remain consumable past the indicated date, provided they are assessed for quality through sensory evaluation, such as smelling.
Ruth Cranston, Sainsbury’s director of corporate responsibility and sustainability, emphasizes the supermarket’s commitment to sustainability by stating, “Around a third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. Combatting food waste is one of our top priorities and we are continuously innovating to tackle this issue, all the way from farms and suppliers, right to our customers’ homes.” With the introduction of best-before dates, Sainsbury’s intends to empower customers to make informed decisions about their food, thus preventing unnecessary disposal.
The shift in labeling follows a similar measure taken by M&S in June, which eliminated use-by dates on its RSPCA assured fresh milk, reflecting a broader industry trend towards reduction of food waste and striving for sustainability goals. Concurrently, Sainsbury’s is investing £6 million to support dairy farmers, allocating £4.3 million to provide an additional fixed 1p per liter to farmers, complementing the cost of production.
This move by Sainsbury’s signifies a substantial step in addressing the food waste challenge prevalent in the UK and aligns with its long-term sustainability objectives.
Sainsbury’s strategic label change aims to substantially reduce milk waste while promoting sustainability.
