Australians waste staggering amounts of perfectly good food each year, and experts say that 'best before' labels are partly to blame.

Many consumers, guided by these dates, discard produce that are still perfectly edible, leading to unnecessary waste.

Now, experts are advocating for removing these labels on fresh fruit and vegetables to reduce food waste.

Australia is grappling with a food waste crisis, with about 7.6 million tonnes of food ending up in the rubbish yearly.

To put that into perspective, that's enough to fill Melbourne Cricket Ground 10 times over!

The average Australian family also reportedly discards $2,500 worth of food annually, amounting to a staggering $36 billion nationwide.

Experts say that 'best before' labels are partly to blame for the food waste produced each year. Image source: Shutterstock.

Steven Lapidge, Chief Executive of advocacy group End Food Waste, points out the issue with 'best before' dates on packaged produce.

'As soon as someone sees a date…they just see a date and they say, “Well, it's past that date or it's near that, we throw it out,”' he explained.

'There's a lot of unnecessary food waste, just because there's a date on there. The best test is your own test.'

A recent senate inquiry released the Australian Food Story: Feeding the Nation and Beyond report, recommending a review of 'best before' and 'use-by' dates on food.

The report suggested using QR codes on products to provide relevant information and educate consumers.

It also advocated for a National Food Plan to eliminate food waste, following the UK's lead in removing 'best before' dates on packaged fruit and vegetables last year.

However, the dates would only be scrapped where there are no discernable food safety issues. For example, pre-cut and mixed salad bags would still carry a 'use-by' date.

The proposed change isn't just about reducing waste; it could also promote healthier eating habits.

'When we do waste fruit and veggies, we tend to buy less and that's a bit of a vicious cycle, because that's what we need to be eating more of and not less of,' Lapidge claimed.

Food waste isn't just a financial issue; it's an environmental one, too. Approximately 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions come from landfill rubbish, contributing to climate change.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is reportedly focused on working with the Cooperative Research Centre on combating food waste, and has not announced any plans of reviewing 'best before' or 'use-by' dates.

'The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code generally requires packaged food to display date marks on food (e.g. best before and use-by dates) with food suppliers being responsible for deciding if a use-by or best before date is used,' FSANZ said in a statement.

'However, packaged fruit and vegetables are not required to display a date mark as long as the nature or quality of the food is not obscured by the packaging.'

'FSANZ recognises education and awareness of date marking can assist in reducing food waste.'

You can learn more about 'best before' or 'use-by' dates here.

Tips on How to Prevent Food Waste

Lapidge suggested preparing 'just enough food' rather than cooking 'just in case' someone drops by.

'A lot of people just always prepare a bit of extra food just in case someone pops in—that's the bit that often goes to waste,' he said.

'At Christmas, it's so tempting to say, “Hey, I'll have one of everything”, to try and impress the family and friends and so on but it does lead to a pretty big increase of food waste.'

'A lot of cultures associate having extra food or excess food with love as well.'

He also recommended storing food properly to extend its shelf life.

For instance, apples last six times longer in the fridge than in a fruit bowl.

Other tips include eating the oldest leftovers first, planning meals, and shopping with a list.

Want more tips? Check out this article!

Key Takeaways

• Experts are advocating for the removal of best before and use-by dates on packaged produce to reduce food waste.
• Australians waste about 7.6 million tonnes of food or $36 billion worth annually, partly due to people discarding produce based on estimated dates rather than the actual quality of the food.
• The Australian Food Story report recommended that the government and food industry review these dates, suggested using QR codes to provide consumers with relevant information, and encouraged the creation of a National Food Plan to eliminate food waste.
• End Food Waste Chief Executive Steven Lapidge highlighted that food waste contributes to climate change and discourages healthy eating as people tend to buy less fresh produce when they waste it.

What are your thoughts on this issue, members? Have you ever thrown away food based on its 'best before' date, only to realise it was still good to eat? Share your experiences in the comments below.

 

[Macarj]

I don't worry about best before on fresh food because I can tell if it can be eaten or not

 

[Shane/#]

Australians waste staggering amounts of perfectly good food each year, and experts say that 'best before' labels are partly to blame.

Many consumers, guided by these dates, discard produce that are still perfectly edible, leading to unnecessary waste.

Now, experts are advocating for removing these labels on fresh fruit and vegetables to reduce food waste.

Australia is grappling with a food waste crisis, with about 7.6 million tonnes of food ending up in the rubbish yearly.

To put that into perspective, that's enough to fill Melbourne Cricket Ground 10 times over!

The average Australian family also reportedly discards $2,500 worth of food annually, amounting to a staggering $36 billion nationwide.

View attachment 37312

Experts say that 'best before' labels are partly to blame for the food waste produced each year. Image source: Shutterstock.

Steven Lapidge, Chief Executive of advocacy group End Food Waste, points out the issue with 'best before' dates on packaged produce.

'As soon as someone sees a date…they just see a date and they say, “Well, it's past that date or it's near that, we throw it out,”' he explained.

'There's a lot of unnecessary food waste, just because there's a date on there. The best test is your own test.'

A recent senate inquiry released the Australian Food Story: Feeding the Nation and Beyond report, recommending a review of 'best before' and 'use-by' dates on food.

The report suggested using QR codes on products to provide relevant information and educate consumers.

It also advocated for a National Food Plan to eliminate food waste, following the UK's lead in removing 'best before' dates on packaged fruit and vegetables last year.

However, the dates would only be scrapped where there are no discernable food safety issues. For example, pre-cut and mixed salad bags would still carry a 'use-by' date.

The proposed change isn't just about reducing waste; it could also promote healthier eating habits.

'When we do waste fruit and veggies, we tend to buy less and that's a bit of a vicious cycle, because that's what we need to be eating more of and not less of,' Lapidge claimed.

Food waste isn't just a financial issue; it's an environmental one, too. Approximately 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions come from landfill rubbish, contributing to climate change.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is reportedly focused on working with the Cooperative Research Centre on combating food waste, and has not announced any plans of reviewing 'best before' or 'use-by' dates.

'The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code generally requires packaged food to display date marks on food (e.g. best before and use-by dates) with food suppliers being responsible for deciding if a use-by or best before date is used,' FSANZ said in a statement.

'However, packaged fruit and vegetables are not required to display a date mark as long as the nature or quality of the food is not obscured by the packaging.'

'FSANZ recognises education and awareness of date marking can assist in reducing food waste.'

You can learn more about 'best before' or 'use-by' dates here.

Tips on How to Prevent Food Waste

Lapidge suggested preparing 'just enough food' rather than cooking 'just in case' someone drops by.

'A lot of people just always prepare a bit of extra food just in case someone pops in—that's the bit that often goes to waste,' he said.

'At Christmas, it's so tempting to say, “Hey, I'll have one of everything”, to try and impress the family and friends and so on but it does lead to a pretty big increase of food waste.'

'A lot of cultures associate having extra food or excess food with love as well.'

He also recommended storing food properly to extend its shelf life.

For instance, apples last six times longer in the fridge than in a fruit bowl.

Other tips include eating the oldest leftovers first, planning meals, and shopping with a list.

Want more tips? Check out this article!

Key Takeaways

• Experts are advocating for the removal of best before and use-by dates on packaged produce to reduce food waste.
• Australians waste about 7.6 million tonnes of food or $36 billion worth annually, partly due to people discarding produce based on estimated dates rather than the actual quality of the food.
• The Australian Food Story report recommended that the government and food industry review these dates, suggested using QR codes to provide consumers with relevant information, and encouraged the creation of a National Food Plan to eliminate food waste.
• End Food Waste Chief Executive Steven Lapidge highlighted that food waste contributes to climate change and discourages healthy eating as people tend to buy less fresh produce when they waste it.

What are your thoughts on this issue, members? Have you ever thrown away food based on its 'best before' date, only to realise it was still good to eat? Share your experiences in the comments below.

Best before date's are misleading and use buy the product is OK even after a few day's but people get it in their head's that it's no good use your noodle (brain) and have a good look at it other senses will tell you it's off nose ,feel

 

[Gaena]

The biggest problem that I have is trying to keep fresh Vegetables Actually fresh, Broccoli would have to be the worst one, I have purchased all sorts of containers to put them in that Guarantee to keep them fresh to no avail they become unsuitable to eat fresh within days, I am careful with making sure to place all fresh veg in the crisper draw but end up throwing so much away. I do not have the option of Farmers gate or markets we can only shop at Woolies or Coles sometimes Aldi as that is all that is available to us I recently resorted to buying veg frozen or in cans but the taste is just not the same, I know that because we have so far to travel with our weekly shopping that is probably the main reason for the problem and I have also recently noticed how much milk that we are throwing out Before its use by date, some within 1 to 2 days and it is already off. the fridge is relatively new (2 years old) and set at to 2degrees all the time so I am at a loss and now worrying about trying to keep all the Christmas food fresh enough to eat safely. Any advice would be welcome.

 

[Veggiepatch]

I'm finding the quality of vegetables has been on the decline recently. Capsicum for example. Look great on purchase then a few days in the fridge, they get wrinkly and squishy. Same with lemons.

Damn potatoes! What looks like an eye is actually a borehole for some parasite that carves a wiggly path all the way through the potato, rendering it inedible and binworthy. At $3 to $4 a kilo, sometimes you end up with 300 to 400 grams of something fit for human consumption. For something that used to be a cheap staple is becoming a luxury. Disappointing!

 

[Veggiepatch]

I'm finding the quality of vegetables has been on the decline recently. Capsicum for example. Look great on purchase then a few days in the fridge, they get wrinkly and squishy. Same with lemons.

Damn potatoes! What looks like an eye is actually a borehole for some parasite that carves a wiggly path all the way through the potato, rendering it inedible and binworthy. At $3 to $4 a kilo, sometimes you end up with 300 to 400 grams of something fit for human consumption. For something that used to be a cheap staple is becoming a luxury. Disappointing!

 

[Gaena]

I'm finding the quality of vegetables has been on the decline recently. Capsicum for example. Look great on purchase then a few days in the fridge, they get wrinkly and squishy. Same with lemons.

Damn potatoes! What looks like an eye is actually a borehole for some parasite that carves a wiggly path all the way through the potato, rendering it inedible and binworthy. At $3 to $4 a kilo, sometimes you end up with 300 to 400 grams of something fit for human consumption. For something that used to be a cheap staple is becoming a luxury. Disappointing!

I hear you same problem here, The humble spud is no longer a cheap or good option to bulk up meals and how do you make a Shepherds pie and Bangers and mash with out it??

 

[IAN3005]

There is one sure way to beat the use-by date on fresh produce, take no notice of them. store the produce correctly. A lettuce can last me 4 weeks with proper storage.
There is some canned food I use is 3 years past it's use by date.
I use the old-fashioned way of detecting whether food is OK... sight, smell and taste

 

[Clancieblue]

I'm finding the quality of vegetables has been on the decline recently. Capsicum for example. Look great on purchase then a few days in the fridge, they get wrinkly and squishy. Same with lemons.

Damn potatoes! What looks like an eye is actually a borehole for some parasite that carves a wiggly path all the way through the potato, rendering it inedible and binworthy. At $3 to $4 a kilo, sometimes you end up with 300 to 400 grams of something fit for human consumption. For something that used to be a cheap staple is becoming a luxury. Disappointing!

Veggie, try wrapping, lettuce cucumber and capsicum in foil for storage. This happens in commercial kitchens and works fairly well.

 

[Bid]

Australians waste staggering amounts of perfectly good food each year, and experts say that 'best before' labels are partly to blame.

Many consumers, guided by these dates, discard produce that are still perfectly edible, leading to unnecessary waste.

Now, experts are advocating for removing these labels on fresh fruit and vegetables to reduce food waste.

Australia is grappling with a food waste crisis, with about 7.6 million tonnes of food ending up in the rubbish yearly.

To put that into perspective, that's enough to fill Melbourne Cricket Ground 10 times over!

The average Australian family also reportedly discards $2,500 worth of food annually, amounting to a staggering $36 billion nationwide.

View attachment 37312

Experts say that 'best before' labels are partly to blame for the food waste produced each year. Image source: Shutterstock.

Steven Lapidge, Chief Executive of advocacy group End Food Waste, points out the issue with 'best before' dates on packaged produce.

'As soon as someone sees a date…they just see a date and they say, “Well, it's past that date or it's near that, we throw it out,”' he explained.

'There's a lot of unnecessary food waste, just because there's a date on there. The best test is your own test.'

A recent senate inquiry released the Australian Food Story: Feeding the Nation and Beyond report, recommending a review of 'best before' and 'use-by' dates on food.

The report suggested using QR codes on products to provide relevant information and educate consumers.

It also advocated for a National Food Plan to eliminate food waste, following the UK's lead in removing 'best before' dates on packaged fruit and vegetables last year.

However, the dates would only be scrapped where there are no discernable food safety issues. For example, pre-cut and mixed salad bags would still carry a 'use-by' date.

The proposed change isn't just about reducing waste; it could also promote healthier eating habits.

'When we do waste fruit and veggies, we tend to buy less and that's a bit of a vicious cycle, because that's what we need to be eating more of and not less of,' Lapidge claimed.

Food waste isn't just a financial issue; it's an environmental one, too. Approximately 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions come from landfill rubbish, contributing to climate change.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is reportedly focused on working with the Cooperative Research Centre on combating food waste, and has not announced any plans of reviewing 'best before' or 'use-by' dates.

'The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code generally requires packaged food to display date marks on food (e.g. best before and use-by dates) with food suppliers being responsible for deciding if a use-by or best before date is used,' FSANZ said in a statement.

'However, packaged fruit and vegetables are not required to display a date mark as long as the nature or quality of the food is not obscured by the packaging.'

'FSANZ recognises education and awareness of date marking can assist in reducing food waste.'

You can learn more about 'best before' or 'use-by' dates here.

Tips on How to Prevent Food Waste

Lapidge suggested preparing 'just enough food' rather than cooking 'just in case' someone drops by.

'A lot of people just always prepare a bit of extra food just in case someone pops in—that's the bit that often goes to waste,' he said.

'At Christmas, it's so tempting to say, “Hey, I'll have one of everything”, to try and impress the family and friends and so on but it does lead to a pretty big increase of food waste.'

'A lot of cultures associate having extra food or excess food with love as well.'

He also recommended storing food properly to extend its shelf life.

For instance, apples last six times longer in the fridge than in a fruit bowl.

Other tips include eating the oldest leftovers first, planning meals, and shopping with a list.

Want more tips? Check out this article!

Key Takeaways

• Experts are advocating for the removal of best before and use-by dates on packaged produce to reduce food waste.
• Australians waste about 7.6 million tonnes of food or $36 billion worth annually, partly due to people discarding produce based on estimated dates rather than the actual quality of the food.
• The Australian Food Story report recommended that the government and food industry review these dates, suggested using QR codes to provide consumers with relevant information, and encouraged the creation of a National Food Plan to eliminate food waste.
• End Food Waste Chief Executive Steven Lapidge highlighted that food waste contributes to climate change and discourages healthy eating as people tend to buy less fresh produce when they waste it.

What are your thoughts on this issue, members? Have you ever thrown away food based on its 'best before' date, only to realise it was still good to eat? Share your experiences in the comments below.

Maybe we need to buy less more often. Use by dates on fruit and veges?? One only has to look at the product to see its life. I use wilted/old veges to make soup/casseroles - The end product freezes really well and when blitzed makes a great sauce on pasta. Wrinkly fruit makes great smoothies

 

[Clancieblue]

Getting the balance right when ordering food for Aged Care is critical to the budget.
The Food Authority is vigilant about UBD"S, resulting in excessive waste.

 

[midgemills]

I have had milk that has lasted a week past it's use by date. Smell and taste, you will know if it has gone off.

 

[Leenie]

The biggest problem that I have is trying to keep fresh Vegetables Actually fresh, Broccoli would have to be the worst one, I have purchased all sorts of containers to put them in that Guarantee to keep them fresh to no avail they become unsuitable to eat fresh within days, I am careful with making sure to place all fresh veg in the crisper draw but end up throwing so much away. I do not have the option of Farmers gate or markets we can only shop at Woolies or Coles sometimes Aldi as that is all that is available to us I recently resorted to buying veg frozen or in cans but the taste is just not the same, I know that because we have so far to travel with our weekly shopping that is probably the main reason for the problem and I have also recently noticed how much milk that we are throwing out Before its use by date, some within 1 to 2 days and it is already off. the fridge is relatively new (2 years old) and set at to 2degrees all the time so I am at a loss and now worrying about trying to keep all the Christmas food fresh enough to eat safely. Any advice would be welcome.

Try par boiling and put in freezer to use at later date.

 

[Carleen]

Australians waste staggering amounts of perfectly good food each year, and experts say that 'best before' labels are partly to blame.

Many consumers, guided by these dates, discard produce that are still perfectly edible, leading to unnecessary waste.

Now, experts are advocating for removing these labels on fresh fruit and vegetables to reduce food waste.

Australia is grappling with a food waste crisis, with about 7.6 million tonnes of food ending up in the rubbish yearly.

To put that into perspective, that's enough to fill Melbourne Cricket Ground 10 times over!

The average Australian family also reportedly discards $2,500 worth of food annually, amounting to a staggering $36 billion nationwide.

View attachment 37312

Experts say that 'best before' labels are partly to blame for the food waste produced each year. Image source: Shutterstock.

Steven Lapidge, Chief Executive of advocacy group End Food Waste, points out the issue with 'best before' dates on packaged produce.

'As soon as someone sees a date…they just see a date and they say, “Well, it's past that date or it's near that, we throw it out,”' he explained.

'There's a lot of unnecessary food waste, just because there's a date on there. The best test is your own test.'

A recent senate inquiry released the Australian Food Story: Feeding the Nation and Beyond report, recommending a review of 'best before' and 'use-by' dates on food.

The report suggested using QR codes on products to provide relevant information and educate consumers.

It also advocated for a National Food Plan to eliminate food waste, following the UK's lead in removing 'best before' dates on packaged fruit and vegetables last year.

However, the dates would only be scrapped where there are no discernable food safety issues. For example, pre-cut and mixed salad bags would still carry a 'use-by' date.

The proposed change isn't just about reducing waste; it could also promote healthier eating habits.

'When we do waste fruit and veggies, we tend to buy less and that's a bit of a vicious cycle, because that's what we need to be eating more of and not less of,' Lapidge claimed.

Food waste isn't just a financial issue; it's an environmental one, too. Approximately 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions come from landfill rubbish, contributing to climate change.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is reportedly focused on working with the Cooperative Research Centre on combating food waste, and has not announced any plans of reviewing 'best before' or 'use-by' dates.

'The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code generally requires packaged food to display date marks on food (e.g. best before and use-by dates) with food suppliers being responsible for deciding if a use-by or best before date is used,' FSANZ said in a statement.

'However, packaged fruit and vegetables are not required to display a date mark as long as the nature or quality of the food is not obscured by the packaging.'

'FSANZ recognises education and awareness of date marking can assist in reducing food waste.'

You can learn more about 'best before' or 'use-by' dates here.

Tips on How to Prevent Food Waste

Lapidge suggested preparing 'just enough food' rather than cooking 'just in case' someone drops by.

'A lot of people just always prepare a bit of extra food just in case someone pops in—that's the bit that often goes to waste,' he said.

'At Christmas, it's so tempting to say, “Hey, I'll have one of everything”, to try and impress the family and friends and so on but it does lead to a pretty big increase of food waste.'

'A lot of cultures associate having extra food or excess food with love as well.'

He also recommended storing food properly to extend its shelf life.

For instance, apples last six times longer in the fridge than in a fruit bowl.

Other tips include eating the oldest leftovers first, planning meals, and shopping with a list.

Want more tips? Check out this article!

Key Takeaways

• Experts are advocating for the removal of best before and use-by dates on packaged produce to reduce food waste.
• Australians waste about 7.6 million tonnes of food or $36 billion worth annually, partly due to people discarding produce based on estimated dates rather than the actual quality of the food.
• The Australian Food Story report recommended that the government and food industry review these dates, suggested using QR codes to provide consumers with relevant information, and encouraged the creation of a National Food Plan to eliminate food waste.
• End Food Waste Chief Executive Steven Lapidge highlighted that food waste contributes to climate change and discourages healthy eating as people tend to buy less fresh produce when they waste it.

What are your thoughts on this issue, members? Have you ever thrown away food based on its 'best before' date, only to realise it was still good to eat? Share your experiences in the comments below.

Maybe the date the fruit and veggies were packed on is better than used by date

 

[Leenie]

I remember when there was no use by date on fruit and veges ,plus vegemite etc , you can tell if they are off by looking at them , since when did lettuce need a use by date?

 

[pmboucher]

I agree with Leenie. Years ago, there was no use by dates, you used your common sense, your nose, and your tastebuds as your guide. Stood us in good stead, with not a single case of food poisoning.

 

[Nichola]

The biggest problem that I have is trying to keep fresh Vegetables Actually fresh, Broccoli would have to be the worst one, I have purchased all sorts of containers to put them in that Guarantee to keep them fresh to no avail they become unsuitable to eat fresh within days, I am careful with making sure to place all fresh veg in the crisper draw but end up throwing so much away. I do not have the option of Farmers gate or markets we can only shop at Woolies or Coles sometimes Aldi as that is all that is available to us I recently resorted to buying veg frozen or in cans but the taste is just not the same, I know that because we have so far to travel with our weekly shopping that is probably the main reason for the problem and I have also recently noticed how much milk that we are throwing out Before its use by date, some within 1 to 2 days and it is already off. the fridge is relatively new (2 years old) and set at to 2degrees all the time so I am at a loss and now worrying about trying to keep all the Christmas food fresh enough to eat safely. Any advice would be welcome.

Same here, Gaena. I have to buy everything online so really it's just Coles or Woolies. I've tried everything to keep fruit and vegetables fresh-but nothing seems to work. I waste so much. I've been buying more tinned produce as well. As for milk, I've been buying longlife milk for some years now - that's a great help. Coles own brand is fine.

 

[Nichola]

I'm finding the quality of vegetables has been on the decline recently. Capsicum for example. Look great on purchase then a few days in the fridge, they get wrinkly and squishy. Same with lemons.

Damn potatoes! What looks like an eye is actually a borehole for some parasite that carves a wiggly path all the way through the potato, rendering it inedible and binworthy. At $3 to $4 a kilo, sometimes you end up with 300 to 400 grams of something fit for human consumption. For something that used to be a cheap staple is becoming a luxury. Disappointing!

And potatoes don't keep well any more - even in a dark place they start sprouting rapidly. We used to buy sacks of potatoes when the children were young. Wouldn't dare do that now - they wouldn't last five minutes!

 

[Veggiepatch]

Veggie, try wrapping, lettuce cucumber and capsicum in foil for storage. This happens in commercial kitchens and works fairly well.

No cucumber for me! Last time I ate it, about 45 years ago, my parent's bathroom was awash with three different human excretions. No need for Jenny Craig as I lost 9 KGS in 5 days in hospital. They found I have a life threatening allergy to an enzyme in cucumber.

 

[Bullwinkle]

As my working life was in Quality, Food Technology this came to mind….

‘Best-Before’ dates give you an idea as to how long food will last before they lose quality. Most products will last beyond their Best-Before date if stored properly.
Foods marked with a ‘Use-by’ date must be consumed before or on that date.