Anti-food waste movement Too Good To Go has launched its ‘Look, Smell, Taste, Don’t Waste’ campaign today, in partnership with some of the UK’s major food brands, to tackle date label confusion and help eliminate food waste.
The ‘Look, Smell, Taste, Don’t Waste’ campaign will see brands switching products from “Use By” to “Best Before” labels where appropriate.
Twenty-five brands have already signed up to the campaign, including Arla, Bel Group, Danone, Emmi UK, Nestle and Savencia.
Product lines from the brands involved will also introduce a new pictogram on their packaging, created by Too Good To Go, to remind customers to trust their senses instead of just relying on “Best Before” date labels.
Research conducted by Too Good To Go prior to the launch suggests that in the UK, 45 per cent of adults are confused about the true meaning of “Best Before” labels on food.
When it comes to checking whether food is good to eat or not, results showed that 39 per cent of Brits do not use their senses to make a decision about food that is past its “Best Before”, which is contributing to food being thrown away unnecessarily.
Speaking on the launch, Jamie Crummie, co-founder of Too Good To Go, said: “Date labelling has long caused confusion and unnecessary food waste in the UK.
“If we are to make significant strides to reducing food waste, we need to take action now. This is why we’re launching our national, industry wide ‘Look, Smell, Taste, Don’t Waste’ campaign.
“I’m delighted that we’re launching this campaign alongside 25 household brands. I’m calling on other brands who haven’t yet taken the steps to join the campaign to get in touch - we’d love to have you join our food waste movement.”
Ben Elliot, the Food Surplus and Waste Champion for Defra, added: “Every year, significant amounts of food are unnecessarily wasted across the country.
“Often food that has passed its ‘Best Before’ date is perfectly safe to eat for weeks, or even months after. It is important that we help people better understand whether produce is safe to eat, and that information on food is clear, helping people make these decisions.
“I strongly support the Too Good To Go campaign and its goal to tackle food waste – and by partnering with a great variety of brands and retailers, I hope that we see a real difference soon.”
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