400 of the world's largest FMCG companies including Nestle, Kellogg, Tesco, Ikea and Unilever have committed to simplify “Sell by,” “Use by,” “Display until,” “Best before,” labels.
The move aims to reduce confusion caused by inconsistent labelling, a change that the industry says could save consumers up to US$29 billion annually.
An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of food worldwide is lost or wasted each year. The average UK household with children spends £700 a year on food that’s thrown away – in the United States, that figure is $1500.
Food loss and waste is a big contributor to climate change and costs the global economy $940 billion each year
The commitment expands efforts to streamline date labels in the United States, United Kingdom and Japan to the rest of the world.
In addition to the labels on products, the Call to Action recommends companies partner with nonprofit organisations and government agencies to educate consumers about how to interpret date labels, through in-store displays, web materials and public service announcements.
The Call to Action says retailers and food and beverage companies should take the following three important steps to simplify date labels and reduce food waste by 2020:
1. Only one label at a time.
2. Choice of two labels: one expiration date for perishable items (eg “Use by”) and one food quality indicator for non-perishable items (eg, “Best if used by”). The exact wording will be tailored to regional context
3. Consumer education to better understand what date labels mean.
Maria Fernanda Mejia, Sr. Vice President of the Kellogg Company and President of Kellogg Latin America said: “Kellogg Company is working to reduce food loss and waste along the production and supply chains, and we want to encourage consumers to be part of the solution too.
“As a global food company, we work to reduce hunger, improve nutrition and protect the planet.”
