Food waste is a huge problem in Australia. According to the National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study, food waste costs the Australian economy an estimate of $36.6 billion annually. That's a huge amount of money, and it's a problem that's only getting worse.

A big part of the problem is that households are responsible for the majority of food waste in the country. Aussie households generate around 2.46 million tonnes of food waste every year. It's especially alarming when you consider that around 70% of this food is perfectly edible.

In other words, we're throwing away millions of tonnes of perfectly good food every year.

Keeping this in mind, it is not surprising that Sydneysiders were outraged after discovering a sizable hoard of perfectly-edible chocolates and lollies ⁠— which included Toblerone bars and boxes of Gobstoppers ⁠— thrown into a dumpster behind a Kmart store.

A concerned Sydney resident shared a photo of the discarded stash on Facebook, sharing that the goods were found in an industrial bin behind the Ashfield Kmart in Sydney's Inner West and stating that most of the items have expiry dates in May and June.

Credit: Facebook​

The claim on expiry dates has been debunked, however, as one person noted that chocolate and confectionery have "best before" dates rather than expiration dates.

The post has prompted Facebook users to take to the comments section to air their frustration and anger over the practice of discarding edible food, with many of them describing the act as "disgusting."

One user wrote: "What a waste."

"So much waste, they'd rather destroy food than donate it, or give it away if they can't profit from it," another added.

Another user suggested donating the food to a nearby foundation that assists homeless people, saying that there are food pantries and organisations that redirect these food donations to those who are in need.

Kmart has yet to respond to requests for comments.

The discarded goods were found in an industrial bin behind the Ashfield Kmart in Sydney's Inner West. Credit: Google Maps.​

What does "best before" signify on food packaging?

For starters, expiration dates and "best before" dates are two different things ⁠— an expiration date is the last date that the food can be safely consumed. while a "best before" date is the date that the food will start to lose its freshness, taste, and quality.

The NSW Food Authority states that retailers may continue to sell food after the "best before" date has gone as long as the item has not "deteriorated or perished."

"Foods marked 'best before' are safe to be consumed provided the food is otherwise fit for human consumption," the group said.

"These foods can be expected to retain their colour, taste, texture and flavour provided they have been stored correctly."

It should be noted that 'best before' labels are typically found on cereals, biscuits, sauces, flour, and frozen meals in addition to chocolates.

According to Food Standards Australia, date markings serve as a guide to indicate how long food can be stored before it starts to decay or becomes unfit for consumption.

Additionally, nonprofit organisation DoSomething said that food that has passed its "best before" date can be donated to charity.

Personally, we find this issue appalling because we believe that donating to charity can help those in need and can support various causes that these organisations are advocating for. Aside from this, donating can also give you a lot of benefits ⁠including improving your mental and physical health, building your self-confidence, and making you happier.

How about you? What are your thoughts on this? Do you think retailers should give away food that they deem unsellable to food pantries and foundations? Let us know your insights in the comments below.

 

[Ricci]

What a waste. There should be penalties for discarding perfectly edible food. With the cost of living going through the roof and many people struggling to make ends meet why weren't these items marked down and sold.

 

[Leanne01]

Food waste is a huge problem in Australia. According to the National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study, food waste costs the Australian economy an estimate of $36.6 billion annually. That's a huge amount of money, and it's a problem that's only getting worse.

A big part of the problem is that households are responsible for the majority of food waste in the country. Aussie households generate around 2.46 million tonnes of food waste every year. It's especially alarming when you consider that around 70% of this food is perfectly edible.

In other words, we're throwing away millions of tonnes of perfectly good food every year.

Keeping this in mind, it is not surprising that Sydneysiders were outraged after discovering a sizable hoard of perfectly-edible chocolates and lollies ⁠— which included Toblerone bars and boxes of Gobstoppers ⁠— thrown into a dumpster behind a Kmart store.

A concerned Sydney resident shared a photo of the discarded stash on Facebook, sharing that the goods were found in an industrial bin behind the Ashfield Kmart in Sydney's Inner West and stating that most of the items have expiry dates in May and June.

Credit: Facebook​

The claim on expiry dates has been debunked, however, as one person noted that chocolate and confectionery have "best before" dates rather than expiration dates.

The post has prompted Facebook users to take to the comments section to air their frustration and anger over the practice of discarding edible food, with many of them describing the act as "disgusting."

One user wrote: "What a waste."

"So much waste, they'd rather destroy food than donate it, or give it away if they can't profit from it," another added.

Another user suggested donating the food to a nearby foundation that assists homeless people, saying that there are food pantries and organisations that redirect these food donations to those who are in need.

Kmart has yet to respond to requests for comments.

The discarded goods were found in an industrial bin behind the Ashfield Kmart in Sydney's Inner West. Credit: Google Maps.​

What does "best before" signify on food packaging?

For starters, expiration dates and "best before" dates are two different things ⁠— an expiration date is the last date that the food can be safely consumed. while a "best before" date is the date that the food will start to lose its freshness, taste, and quality.

The NSW Food Authority states that retailers may continue to sell food after the "best before" date has gone as long as the item has not "deteriorated or perished."

"Foods marked 'best before' are safe to be consumed provided the food is otherwise fit for human consumption," the group said.

"These foods can be expected to retain their colour, taste, texture and flavour provided they have been stored correctly."

It should be noted that 'best before' labels are typically found on cereals, biscuits, sauces, flour, and frozen meals in addition to chocolates.

According to Food Standards Australia, date markings serve as a guide to indicate how long food can be stored before it starts to decay or becomes unfit for consumption.

Additionally, nonprofit organisation DoSomething said that food that has passed its "best before" date can be donated to charity.

Personally, we find this issue appalling because we believe that donating to charity can help those in need and can support various causes that these organisations are advocating for. Aside from this, donating can also give you a lot of benefits ⁠including improving your mental and physical health, building your self-confidence, and making you happier.

How about you? What are your thoughts on this? Do you think retailers should give away food that they deem unsellable to food pantries and foundations? Let us know your insights in the comments below.

 

[Suzanne rose]

They should have been drastically reduced and sold.
A close friend owns 5 mcdonalds stores and they throw so much stock out , they have timers on everything even though the items are far from expiry
I asked her why not give to the homeless , she said she can't because if they get sick she can be sued. She said it's sad but there is to much rigmarole involved

 

[MarieT]

Food waste is a huge problem in Australia. According to the National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study, food waste costs the Australian economy an estimate of $36.6 billion annually. That's a huge amount of money, and it's a problem that's only getting worse.

A big part of the problem is that households are responsible for the majority of food waste in the country. Aussie households generate around 2.46 million tonnes of food waste every year. It's especially alarming when you consider that around 70% of this food is perfectly edible.

In other words, we're throwing away millions of tonnes of perfectly good food every year.

Keeping this in mind, it is not surprising that Sydneysiders were outraged after discovering a sizable hoard of perfectly-edible chocolates and lollies ⁠— which included Toblerone bars and boxes of Gobstoppers ⁠— thrown into a dumpster behind a Kmart store.

A concerned Sydney resident shared a photo of the discarded stash on Facebook, sharing that the goods were found in an industrial bin behind the Ashfield Kmart in Sydney's Inner West and stating that most of the items have expiry dates in May and June.

Credit: Facebook​

The claim on expiry dates has been debunked, however, as one person noted that chocolate and confectionery have "best before" dates rather than expiration dates.

The post has prompted Facebook users to take to the comments section to air their frustration and anger over the practice of discarding edible food, with many of them describing the act as "disgusting."

One user wrote: "What a waste."

"So much waste, they'd rather destroy food than donate it, or give it away if they can't profit from it," another added.

Another user suggested donating the food to a nearby foundation that assists homeless people, saying that there are food pantries and organisations that redirect these food donations to those who are in need.

Kmart has yet to respond to requests for comments.

The discarded goods were found in an industrial bin behind the Ashfield Kmart in Sydney's Inner West. Credit: Google Maps.​

What does "best before" signify on food packaging?

For starters, expiration dates and "best before" dates are two different things ⁠— an expiration date is the last date that the food can be safely consumed. while a "best before" date is the date that the food will start to lose its freshness, taste, and quality.

The NSW Food Authority states that retailers may continue to sell food after the "best before" date has gone as long as the item has not "deteriorated or perished."

"Foods marked 'best before' are safe to be consumed provided the food is otherwise fit for human consumption," the group said.

"These foods can be expected to retain their colour, taste, texture and flavour provided they have been stored correctly."

It should be noted that 'best before' labels are typically found on cereals, biscuits, sauces, flour, and frozen meals in addition to chocolates.

According to Food Standards Australia, date markings serve as a guide to indicate how long food can be stored before it starts to decay or becomes unfit for consumption.

Additionally, nonprofit organisation DoSomething said that food that has passed its "best before" date can be donated to charity.

Personally, we find this issue appalling because we believe that donating to charity can help those in need and can support various causes that these organisations are advocating for. Aside from this, donating can also give you a lot of benefits ⁠including improving your mental and physical health, building your self-confidence, and making you happier.

How about you? What are your thoughts on this? Do you think retailers should give away food that they deem unsellable to food pantries and foundations? Let us know your insights in the comments below.

There are plenty of homeless people out there that would appreciate it.

 

[Leanne01]

I think it is great that K-Mart care enough about our health to throw away expired food even though some may have a "best before" date. After all, its not as though it is decent food like fruit, vegetables or canned products- its just chocolate and lollies which we are probably better off without anyway.

 

[Ricci]

I think it is great that K-Mart care enough about our health to throw away expired food even though some may have a "best before" date. After all, its not as though it is decent food like fruit, vegetables or canned products- its just chocolate and lollies which we are probably better off without anyway.

Sure it may be chocolates and lollies that I agree most of us could do without but what will it be tomorrow. With the cost of manufacture, transport, manual handling etc for it to just end up as landfill you might as well just shred hundred dollar bills and save a whole lot of effort.

 

[Gil]

OK, this is a waste and should be handled in a different way, or re-distributed to the needy, however, what were these people doing looking in the dumpster in the first place?

 

[Peppa]

Our local Big W marks them down, why can't Kma

 

[Alexander]

Food waste is a huge problem in Australia. According to the National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study, food waste costs the Australian economy an estimate of $36.6 billion annually. That's a huge amount of money, and it's a problem that's only getting worse.

A big part of the problem is that households are responsible for the majority of food waste in the country. Aussie households generate around 2.46 million tonnes of food waste every year. It's especially alarming when you consider that around 70% of this food is perfectly edible.

In other words, we're throwing away millions of tonnes of perfectly good food every year.

Keeping this in mind, it is not surprising that Sydneysiders were outraged after discovering a sizable hoard of perfectly-edible chocolates and lollies ⁠— which included Toblerone bars and boxes of Gobstoppers ⁠— thrown into a dumpster behind a Kmart store.

A concerned Sydney resident shared a photo of the discarded stash on Facebook, sharing that the goods were found in an industrial bin behind the Ashfield Kmart in Sydney's Inner West and stating that most of the items have expiry dates in May and June.

Credit: Facebook​

The claim on expiry dates has been debunked, however, as one person noted that chocolate and confectionery have "best before" dates rather than expiration dates.

The post has prompted Facebook users to take to the comments section to air their frustration and anger over the practice of discarding edible food, with many of them describing the act as "disgusting."

One user wrote: "What a waste."

"So much waste, they'd rather destroy food than donate it, or give it away if they can't profit from it," another added.

Another user suggested donating the food to a nearby foundation that assists homeless people, saying that there are food pantries and organisations that redirect these food donations to those who are in need.

Kmart has yet to respond to requests for comments.

The discarded goods were found in an industrial bin behind the Ashfield Kmart in Sydney's Inner West. Credit: Google Maps.​

What does "best before" signify on food packaging?

For starters, expiration dates and "best before" dates are two different things ⁠— an expiration date is the last date that the food can be safely consumed. while a "best before" date is the date that the food will start to lose its freshness, taste, and quality.

The NSW Food Authority states that retailers may continue to sell food after the "best before" date has gone as long as the item has not "deteriorated or perished."

"Foods marked 'best before' are safe to be consumed provided the food is otherwise fit for human consumption," the group said.

"These foods can be expected to retain their colour, taste, texture and flavour provided they have been stored correctly."

It should be noted that 'best before' labels are typically found on cereals, biscuits, sauces, flour, and frozen meals in addition to chocolates.

According to Food Standards Australia, date markings serve as a guide to indicate how long food can be stored before it starts to decay or becomes unfit for consumption.

Additionally, nonprofit organisation DoSomething said that food that has passed its "best before" date can be donated to charity.

Personally, we find this issue appalling because we believe that donating to charity can help those in need and can support various causes that these organisations are advocating for. Aside from this, donating can also give you a lot of benefits ⁠including improving your mental and physical health, building your self-confidence, and making you happier.

How about you? What are your thoughts on this? Do you think retailers should give away food that they deem unsellable to food pantries and foundations? Let us know your insights in the comments below.

My wife and I collect bread from a bakery franchise every week and take it to a charity. This charity distributes it to those who are in need, either by being open for collection, or by a delivery to those who can't get out and about. The bread does not go to waste. If it or any other edible food for that matter has passed it's use by date it is donated where appropriate to smallholding farmers as feed for their cattle. It is only personal pride that makes so much reusable produce unacceptable and as a country we should be ashamed of ourselves. So it is not eye fillet steak but cooked properly any other steak can tase just as good. Try it ... when your purse is empty!!

 

[Geronimo 2022]

Food waste is a huge problem in Australia. According to the National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study, food waste costs the Australian economy an estimate of $36.6 billion annually. That's a huge amount of money, and it's a problem that's only getting worse.

A big part of the problem is that households are responsible for the majority of food waste in the country. Aussie households generate around 2.46 million tonnes of food waste every year. It's especially alarming when you consider that around 70% of this food is perfectly edible.

In other words, we're throwing away millions of tonnes of perfectly good food every year.

Keeping this in mind, it is not surprising that Sydneysiders were outraged after discovering a sizable hoard of perfectly-edible chocolates and lollies ⁠— which included Toblerone bars and boxes of Gobstoppers ⁠— thrown into a dumpster behind a Kmart store.

A concerned Sydney resident shared a photo of the discarded stash on Facebook, sharing that the goods were found in an industrial bin behind the Ashfield Kmart in Sydney's Inner West and stating that most of the items have expiry dates in May and June.

Credit: Facebook​

The claim on expiry dates has been debunked, however, as one person noted that chocolate and confectionery have "best before" dates rather than expiration dates.

The post has prompted Facebook users to take to the comments section to air their frustration and anger over the practice of discarding edible food, with many of them describing the act as "disgusting."

One user wrote: "What a waste."

"So much waste, they'd rather destroy food than donate it, or give it away if they can't profit from it," another added.

Another user suggested donating the food to a nearby foundation that assists homeless people, saying that there are food pantries and organisations that redirect these food donations to those who are in need.

Kmart has yet to respond to requests for comments.

The discarded goods were found in an industrial bin behind the Ashfield Kmart in Sydney's Inner West. Credit: Google Maps.​

What does "best before" signify on food packaging?

For starters, expiration dates and "best before" dates are two different things ⁠— an expiration date is the last date that the food can be safely consumed. while a "best before" date is the date that the food will start to lose its freshness, taste, and quality.

The NSW Food Authority states that retailers may continue to sell food after the "best before" date has gone as long as the item has not "deteriorated or perished."

"Foods marked 'best before' are safe to be consumed provided the food is otherwise fit for human consumption," the group said.

"These foods can be expected to retain their colour, taste, texture and flavour provided they have been stored correctly."

It should be noted that 'best before' labels are typically found on cereals, biscuits, sauces, flour, and frozen meals in addition to chocolates.

According to Food Standards Australia, date markings serve as a guide to indicate how long food can be stored before it starts to decay or becomes unfit for consumption.

Additionally, nonprofit organisation DoSomething said that food that has passed its "best before" date can be donated to charity.

Personally, we find this issue appalling because we believe that donating to charity can help those in need and can support various causes that these organisations are advocating for. Aside from this, donating can also give you a lot of benefits ⁠including improving your mental and physical health, building your self-confidence, and making you happier.

How about you? What are your thoughts on this? Do you think retailers should give away food that they deem unsellable to food pantries and foundations? Let us know your insights in the comments below.

Contact OzHarvest. They will collect and distribute. It’s disgusting to see it thrown away.

 

[Home alone]

Food waste is a huge problem in Australia. According to the National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study, food waste costs the Australian economy an estimate of $36.6 billion annually. That's a huge amount of money, and it's a problem that's only getting worse.

A big part of the problem is that households are responsible for the majority of food waste in the country. Aussie households generate around 2.46 million tonnes of food waste every year. It's especially alarming when you consider that around 70% of this food is perfectly edible.

In other words, we're throwing away millions of tonnes of perfectly good food every year.

Keeping this in mind, it is not surprising that Sydneysiders were outraged after discovering a sizable hoard of perfectly-edible chocolates and lollies ⁠— which included Toblerone bars and boxes of Gobstoppers ⁠— thrown into a dumpster behind a Kmart store.

A concerned Sydney resident shared a photo of the discarded stash on Facebook, sharing that the goods were found in an industrial bin behind the Ashfield Kmart in Sydney's Inner West and stating that most of the items have expiry dates in May and June.

Credit: Facebook​

The claim on expiry dates has been debunked, however, as one person noted that chocolate and confectionery have "best before" dates rather than expiration dates.

The post has prompted Facebook users to take to the comments section to air their frustration and anger over the practice of discarding edible food, with many of them describing the act as "disgusting."

One user wrote: "What a waste."

"So much waste, they'd rather destroy food than donate it, or give it away if they can't profit from it," another added.

Another user suggested donating the food to a nearby foundation that assists homeless people, saying that there are food pantries and organisations that redirect these food donations to those who are in need.

Kmart has yet to respond to requests for comments.

The discarded goods were found in an industrial bin behind the Ashfield Kmart in Sydney's Inner West. Credit: Google Maps.​

What does "best before" signify on food packaging?

For starters, expiration dates and "best before" dates are two different things ⁠— an expiration date is the last date that the food can be safely consumed. while a "best before" date is the date that the food will start to lose its freshness, taste, and quality.

The NSW Food Authority states that retailers may continue to sell food after the "best before" date has gone as long as the item has not "deteriorated or perished."

"Foods marked 'best before' are safe to be consumed provided the food is otherwise fit for human consumption," the group said.

"These foods can be expected to retain their colour, taste, texture and flavour provided they have been stored correctly."

It should be noted that 'best before' labels are typically found on cereals, biscuits, sauces, flour, and frozen meals in addition to chocolates.

According to Food Standards Australia, date markings serve as a guide to indicate how long food can be stored before it starts to decay or becomes unfit for consumption.

Additionally, nonprofit organisation DoSomething said that food that has passed its "best before" date can be donated to charity.

Personally, we find this issue appalling because we believe that donating to charity can help those in need and can support various causes that these organisations are advocating for. Aside from this, donating can also give you a lot of benefits ⁠including improving your mental and physical health, building your self-confidence, and making you happier.

How about you? What are your thoughts on this? Do you think retailers should give away food that they deem unsellable to food pantries and foundations? Let us know your insights in the comments below.

Why was she going through the bins.

 

[elaine41]

Food waste is a huge problem in Australia. According to the National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study, food waste costs the Australian economy an estimate of $36.6 billion annually. That's a huge amount of money, and it's a problem that's only getting worse.

A big part of the problem is that households are responsible for the majority of food waste in the country. Aussie households generate around 2.46 million tonnes of food waste every year. It's especially alarming when you consider that around 70% of this food is perfectly edible.

In other words, we're throwing away millions of tonnes of perfectly good food every year.

Keeping this in mind, it is not surprising that Sydneysiders were outraged after discovering a sizable hoard of perfectly-edible chocolates and lollies ⁠— which included Toblerone bars and boxes of Gobstoppers ⁠— thrown into a dumpster behind a Kmart store.

A concerned Sydney resident shared a photo of the discarded stash on Facebook, sharing that the goods were found in an industrial bin behind the Ashfield Kmart in Sydney's Inner West and stating that most of the items have expiry dates in May and June.

Credit: Facebook​

The claim on expiry dates has been debunked, however, as one person noted that chocolate and confectionery have "best before" dates rather than expiration dates.

The post has prompted Facebook users to take to the comments section to air their frustration and anger over the practice of discarding edible food, with many of them describing the act as "disgusting."

One user wrote: "What a waste."

"So much waste, they'd rather destroy food than donate it, or give it away if they can't profit from it," another added.

Another user suggested donating the food to a nearby foundation that assists homeless people, saying that there are food pantries and organisations that redirect these food donations to those who are in need.

Kmart has yet to respond to requests for comments.

The discarded goods were found in an industrial bin behind the Ashfield Kmart in Sydney's Inner West. Credit: Google Maps.​

What does "best before" signify on food packaging?

For starters, expiration dates and "best before" dates are two different things ⁠— an expiration date is the last date that the food can be safely consumed. while a "best before" date is the date that the food will start to lose its freshness, taste, and quality.

The NSW Food Authority states that retailers may continue to sell food after the "best before" date has gone as long as the item has not "deteriorated or perished."

"Foods marked 'best before' are safe to be consumed provided the food is otherwise fit for human consumption," the group said.

"These foods can be expected to retain their colour, taste, texture and flavour provided they have been stored correctly."

It should be noted that 'best before' labels are typically found on cereals, biscuits, sauces, flour, and frozen meals in addition to chocolates.

According to Food Standards Australia, date markings serve as a guide to indicate how long food can be stored before it starts to decay or becomes unfit for consumption.

Additionally, nonprofit organisation DoSomething said that food that has passed its "best before" date can be donated to charity.

Personally, we find this issue appalling because we believe that donating to charity can help those in need and can support various causes that these organisations are advocating for. Aside from this, donating can also give you a lot of benefits ⁠including improving your mental and physical health, building your self-confidence, and making you happier.

How about you? What are your thoughts on this? Do you think retailers should give away food that they deem unsellable to food pantries and foundations? Let us know your insights in the comments below.

My first thought - why was this person looking in an industrial bin in the first place? It's not high on my list of things to do before I die (hahaha). As for the waste, that is really frustrating. As an aged pensioner chocolates are very low on the list of things I need to buy at the supermarket; in fact, I can't remember the last time I could afford to buy a chocolate.

 

[MIZMAC]

KMart would be aware that people confuse Best Before and USE by and as such folk will not buy so wasted. As it was chocolates and lollies their thoughts would not be that the needy need them.
By the by why was the person going through an industrial waste bin? VERY unhealthy.

 

[Ricci]

KMart would be aware that people confuse Best Before and USE by and as such folk will not buy so wasted. As it was chocolates and lollies their thoughts would not be that the needy need them.
By the by why was the person going through an industrial waste bin? VERY unhealthy.

Dumpster Diving. That's how some people get their food. They check the bins behind most shops to see if any edible food has been chucked out. If you're not too picky you can live quite well from them I'm told.

 

[OldBells]

Food waste is a huge problem in Australia. According to the National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study, food waste costs the Australian economy an estimate of $36.6 billion annually. That's a huge amount of money, and it's a problem that's only getting worse.

A big part of the problem is that households are responsible for the majority of food waste in the country. Aussie households generate around 2.46 million tonnes of food waste every year. It's especially alarming when you consider that around 70% of this food is perfectly edible.

In other words, we're throwing away millions of tonnes of perfectly good food every year.

Keeping this in mind, it is not surprising that Sydneysiders were outraged after discovering a sizable hoard of perfectly-edible chocolates and lollies ⁠— which included Toblerone bars and boxes of Gobstoppers ⁠— thrown into a dumpster behind a Kmart store.

A concerned Sydney resident shared a photo of the discarded stash on Facebook, sharing that the goods were found in an industrial bin behind the Ashfield Kmart in Sydney's Inner West and stating that most of the items have expiry dates in May and June.

Credit: Facebook​

The claim on expiry dates has been debunked, however, as one person noted that chocolate and confectionery have "best before" dates rather than expiration dates.

The post has prompted Facebook users to take to the comments section to air their frustration and anger over the practice of discarding edible food, with many of them describing the act as "disgusting."

One user wrote: "What a waste."

"So much waste, they'd rather destroy food than donate it, or give it away if they can't profit from it," another added.

Another user suggested donating the food to a nearby foundation that assists homeless people, saying that there are food pantries and organisations that redirect these food donations to those who are in need.

Kmart has yet to respond to requests for comments.

The discarded goods were found in an industrial bin behind the Ashfield Kmart in Sydney's Inner West. Credit: Google Maps.​

What does "best before" signify on food packaging?

For starters, expiration dates and "best before" dates are two different things ⁠— an expiration date is the last date that the food can be safely consumed. while a "best before" date is the date that the food will start to lose its freshness, taste, and quality.

The NSW Food Authority states that retailers may continue to sell food after the "best before" date has gone as long as the item has not "deteriorated or perished."

"Foods marked 'best before' are safe to be consumed provided the food is otherwise fit for human consumption," the group said.

"These foods can be expected to retain their colour, taste, texture and flavour provided they have been stored correctly."

It should be noted that 'best before' labels are typically found on cereals, biscuits, sauces, flour, and frozen meals in addition to chocolates.

According to Food Standards Australia, date markings serve as a guide to indicate how long food can be stored before it starts to decay or becomes unfit for consumption.

Additionally, nonprofit organisation DoSomething said that food that has passed its "best before" date can be donated to charity.

Personally, we find this issue appalling because we believe that donating to charity can help those in need and can support various causes that these organisations are advocating for. Aside from this, donating can also give you a lot of benefits ⁠including improving your mental and physical health, building your self-confidence, and making you happier.

How about you? What are your thoughts on this? Do you think retailers should give away food that they deem unsellable to food pantries and foundations? Let us know your insights in the comments below.

Bit wasteful, some people dont mind out of date stuff. The question is, what were they doing going through the waste bins at the back of K Mart?

 

[Truds]

Why are people on here talking about them going through the waste bins, just because we lot can afford to buy decent food. Some people for whatever reason can’t.

 

[Julia TH]

When did we, in Australia, start using the Americanism "expiration" date instead of "expiry" date? Seems odd that American English removes letters from words but add syllables

 

[JustPat]

Unfortunately there have been cases were businesses have tried to donate such items to different organizations but they have refused them but I think what needs to be done especially in large chain stores such as KMart in this case is that they form a partnership with different organizations for donating certain goods that they would through in the bin for land fill but then again those organizations have to come to the party and be willing to pick those goods up and not necessary want them delivered on plate after all it goes two ways,

 

[Panred]

What a waste. There should be penalties for discarding perfectly edible food. With the cost of living going through the roof and many people struggling to make ends meet why weren't these items marked down and