Food hygiene and food waste.

[Workingman]

The Co-op is about to do away with use-by dates on its yoghurts to try to stem food waste and has opted to have only best-before dates instead.

I do not think it will have an impact on food hygiene, as some claim, but I am not sure it will work on food waste either. Lots of people see sell-by, use-by and best-before dates as the same things and will religiously bin anything the day after any of those dates has passed - I know loads of people who act that way; family members. Those dates are mainly to help manufacturers and retailers to shift and control stock. Most foods are good to eat days after any date.

To cut down on waste there are a number of other options. 1. Force the big buyers (supermarkets / wholesalers) to be less picky about the size, shape and look of things. About 40% of total food waste is crops being ploughed back in because they do not fit into the "perfect" category as defined by the above. 2. Sell more loose items instead of pre-packaged amounts - six or eight of these, 1 kg of that, 1 litre of the other.

As a singleton it really bugs me that smaller or single versions of some things are nearly the same price as their larger cousins or multi-packs. A 400g loaf is about 80% of an 800g one, three single yoghurts are the same price as a six pack, and so on.

If we want to cut down food waste then things need to change.

[cruiser2]

I am also a single buyer and will not buy anything in a plastic bag or other container. Buy all veg loose. It causes confusion at the check out.
THey have to weigh one potato, two carrots, a piece of brocol;li. I can tell some don't like it.

[Workingman]

Ah, yes! I always buy just what I can use.

I have solved that problem by keeping a few food bags in my main shopping bag now that supermarkets have stopped issuing them.

Get what I want, put the bag on the scales, print the ticket and stick it on the bag - it helps to seal the bag as well. I use the same ones over and over.

[Kaz]

I have several of the reusable net bags Sainsburys sell for 30p each, and use them for loose veg and fruit.

[cromwell]

We have them too Kaz.

[Suff]

If you read the blurb on dates, the one to go is best before. Use by should not be removed.

https://www.eufic.org/en/food-safety/ar ... gIBKPD_BwE

Example of doing something to be seen to be doing something regardless of whether it is correct or not.

[Workingman]

The Co-op is getting rid of use-by dates.

We are no longer in the EU so the Co-op has "taken back control". I do agree though, use-by is the safer option to keep.

It is only for yoghurts at present, but there will be mission creep