USE-BY dates are to be scrapped from all Co-op own-brand yoghurts in a bid to reduce food waste.
The supermarket said that 42,000 tonnes of edible yoghurt is thrown out by UK homes each year due to guidance printed on packs.
Data from Statista shows that some six million people in the UK consume a yoghurt each day, with research from WRAP highlighting that 50% of yoghurts are thrown away in unopened packs and 70% of all yoghurt wasted in homes is due to them ‘not being used in time’ – with the date label cited as the reason.
The supermarket added that it will replace the ‘use by’ dates with ‘best before’ dates on its entire range, in what it said is a UK supermarket first. Traditionally, yoghurts have carried ‘use by’ dates which Co-op said is linked to food safety. It added that testing shows the product is safe to eat past the expiration date – with the main change being in quality.
Nick Cornwell, head of food technical at Co-op, said, “Yoghurt can be safe to eat if stored unopened in a fridge after the date mark shown, so we have made the move to best before dates to help reduce food waste. The acidity of yoghurt acts as a natural defence and we’d encourage shoppers to use their judgement on the quality of their yoghurt if it is past the best before date.
“Data from WRAP has suggested that 70% of food waste happens within the home setting. It’s our ambition to help our members and customers to make small changes that will collectively make a big impact and combat unnecessary food waste. Controlling food waste is not only beneficial for managing household budgets, it also has an environmental benefit and will ultimately help reduce carbon emissions. We encourage more retailers and brands to review their on-pack guidance and make the switch to best before dates for yoghurts.”
