Here's why Bedford shoppers will start seeing these labels during their trip to the supermarket and what it all means

Anti-food waste innovators are calling on people in Bedford to reduce waste and bust common food myths by trusting their senses over sell-by dates.

A new campaign by Too Good To Go titled 'Look, Smell, Taste, Don't Waste' has published results of a survey which found Bedford residents could be throwing away 10 per cent of their weekly food shop thanks to confusion over food date labels, resulting in as much as £346 worth of quality, edible food being wasted by households.

The new research, which found that 45 per cent of adults are confused about the meaning of ‘Best Before’ labels, has been released to mark the launch of the ‘Look, Smell, Taste, Don’t Waste’ initiative, which is calling on brands across the UK to step up and address this confusion to fight food waste.

Bedford shoppers are being actively encouraged to look beyond ‘Best Before’ dates as ‘Look, Smell, Taste, Don’t Waste’ messaging hits the shelves on some of the UK’s biggest brands.

Those doing their weekly food shop can expect to find the likes of The Laughing Cow cheese, Onken yoghurt, Activia and Actimel yoghurt drinks, Cravendale milk and many more products, from fridge to pantry, carrying Too Good To Go’s call to action to use their senses.

The roll-out, which to date has attracted 24 brands, including Nestle, Danone, and Arla, aims to address the common misconception that food past its assigned ‘Best Before’ date is unsafe to eat. Whilst ‘Use By’ dates are adopted widely to advise when food is safe to eat, ‘Best Before’ dates are simply a guide to quality.

According to the survey conducted by Too Good To Go, over a quarter (26 per cent) are concerned that eating food past the Best Before date could make them sick, and just a third (34 per cent) would serve a meal to friends or family with ingredients past this date.

Of the 2,000 people surveyed, a staggering 39 per cent admitted that they don’t use their senses to determine the edibility of food items in their cupboard or fridge, and almost a third (32 per cent) wouldn’t eat a yoghurt that had passed its ‘Best Before’ date, despite it being perfectly safe to do so.

Milk is the food product that Brits are most likely to check before consuming at 70 per cent, with other dairy products such as yoghurt (59 per cent), eggs (56 per cent), and cheese (44 per cent) high up on the list.

Jamie Crummie, co-founder of Too Good To Go, said: “Date label confusion is a major contributor to food waste at home. The truth is that the dates given on ‘Best Before’ labels are often extremely conservative and that food can have a much longer life than is specified, with no significant drop in quality. The best way to tell if a food is good to eat is to look at it, smell it, taste it and to trust your own judgment.

To find out more about Too Good To Go’s mission to fight food waste around the world, head to the website hereBedford shoppers may notice the labelling on packaging for products from a host of brands and stores including the following that have already signed up to the Look, Smell, Taste, Don’t Waste initiative:

Arla

Bel Group (The Laughing Cow)

Danone (Danone, Actimel, Activia, Oykos, Light & Free)

Emmi UK (Onken & Beleaf)

Nestle

The Bay Tree

Loving Food

Alternative Foods (OGGS)

Greens for Good

The Cornish Cheese Co

Dunsters Farm

Sea Chips

SpareSnacks

Nibs Etc.

Glorious Game

Eat Love Raw

Punchy Drinks

Dash Water

Fruity Packs

Saint Agur Cheese