Tesco to remove more best before dates from fruit and vegetables
Tesco is to remove over 100 more best before dates from its fruit and vegetables following feedback from customers which says it helps them to reduce food waste.
The move follows Tesco dispensing with guidance dates on around 70 fruit and vegetable lines earlier this year.
New research commissioned by the supermarket chain found that 69% of customers welcomed the idea of scrapping best before dates. Furthermore, some 53% of shoppers said they believed scrapping the dates helped them to keep perfectly edible food for longer.
As a result, best before dates will be scrapped on 116 additional products including apples, oranges, cabbages and asparagus.
Tesco’s head of food waste reduction Mark Little said: “Removing best before dates is our way of making it easier for customers to reduce food waste at home and save money in the process.
“It’s simply not right that food goes to waste and we’re going to do everything we can to help.”
Last week, Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis called for global transparency on food waste as twenty-seven of Tesco’s biggest suppliers published their food waste data for the first time.
Tesco has revealed that it is now over 70% of the way towards its goal that “no food that is safe for human consumption” goes to waste from its UK stores and distribution centres.
