Lidl ditches ‘use by’ dates on dairy products to combat food waste

UK – Lidl GB has joined the ranks of those discarding ‘use by’ dates in favor of ‘best before’ dates for its dairy products, aligning to aid customers in curbing food waste at home.

This transition aims to mitigate the disposal of “entirely edible food,” particularly in its yoghurt and fresh milk assortments.

The updated packaging for milk has already commenced integration into stores across England and Wales. Lidl anticipates the shift in yoghurt labeling to take effect in early 2024.

Richard Inglis, Head of Buying at Lidl GB, articulated, “At Lidl, we recognize the unfortunate discarding of perfectly good milk and yoghurt due to ‘use by’ dates.

“Hence, the shift to ‘best before’ dates enables consumers to exercise their own judgment regarding the consumability of their milk or yoghurt.”

He further emphasized the retailer’s established commitment to effectuating positive change in reducing food waste. This alteration marks a continued dedication to assisting households in addressing food waste challenges.

Lidl has asserted that appropriately stored milk and yoghurt, devoid of unpleasant odors or unusual textures, remains “safe to enjoy.”

Encouraging customers to exercise their discretion, the retailer advocates reliance on ‘best before’ dates as guidance for consumption decisions.

This adjustment in labeling serves as an extension of the retailer’s ongoing endeavors to combat food waste. Among these initiatives are in-store programs, exemplified by their ‘Too Good to Waste’ boxes.

These innovative measures facilitate a reduction in food waste by approximately 17,000 tonnes annually. Through the sale of surplus fruit and vegetables, 5 kilograms are made available for a mere £1.50, underscoring the retailer’s commitment to fostering responsible consumption practices.

In August, Aldi announced its plans to replace ‘use by’ dates with ‘best before’ dates from its fresh milk SKUs, excluding filtered milk, across its stores in England and Wales as it seeks to prevent food waste.

According to Aldi, this change will gradually be implemented across all the Aldi stores in England and Wales by the end of the current year.

The effort is expected to minimize the wastage of milk, preventing it from being thrown away ‘unnecessarily’ and therefore cutting down overall food wastage.

Aldi argues if milk is stored properly and has no unpleasant or unusual smell, it is safe to be used past its ‘Best Before’ date.

According to waste reduction charity WRAP, nearly 300,000 tonnes of milk is wasted by UK households each year, with half of the households stating that the reason for pouring it away is due to it not being consumed by the ‘Use By’ date.

For all the latest packaging and printing industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.