Sainsbury's ditches use-by dates on milk to slash waste

Sainsbury's switches from use by to best before date on milk range
Sustainability

In an effort to combat milk wastage and contribute to the reduction of household food waste, Sainsbury's is set to replace use-by dates with best-before dates across its own-brand milk range.

This change will affect 44 products, including fresh and organic milk in England, Scotland, and Wales, totaling over 730 million pints annually.

Milk is the UK's third most wasted food, with 490 million pints discarded annually, often due to use-by date concerns.

Sainsbury's move aims to prevent premature disposal of still-safe milk, giving customers more time to use it. The new labels will roll out in the coming year, completing by February 2024.

Sainsbury's switches from use by to best before date on milk range
Spoiler alert: Sainsbury’s switches from use-by to best-before date on milk range to reduce household food waste © Sainsbury's

Best-before dates indicate food quality, unlike use-by dates, which concern food safety. Sainsbury's will encourage customers to use sensory cues, such as smell, to assess milk freshness.

Ruth Cranston, Director of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability at Sainsbury’s, said: Around a third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. Combatting food waste is one of our top priorities and we are continuously innovating to tackle this issue, all the way from farms and suppliers, right to our customers’ homes. By switching to best-before dates on our milk we are empowering customers to make their own decisions on whether their food is good to eat, helping to prevent them from disposing of food too early.

This initiative underscores Sainsbury's commitment to reducing food waste.

Latest Packaging News

100 days to go: London Packaging Week prepares to launch its most ambitious show yet
Events

100 days to go: London Packaging Week prepares to launch its most ambitious show yet

With 100 days to go, momentum is building for London Packaging Week 2025. Taking place on 15 &...
Viscose Closures: Major investment in state-of-the-art flexo printer boosts shrink sleeve production
Supplier News

Viscose Closures: Major investment in state-of-the-art flexo printer boosts shrink sleeve production

We’re excited to announce a major investment here at Viscose Closures: the planned installation of...
UK retailers unite to explore reusable packaging through prefill systems
Business

UK retailers unite to explore reusable packaging through prefill systems

Nine of the UK’s largest grocery retailers have jointly announced plans to explore the...
Glue-based Snap Packs to replace cardboard sleeves on Aldi beer multipacks
Sustainability

Glue-based Snap Packs to replace cardboard sleeves on Aldi beer multipacks

Aldi has announced plans to introduce a new packaging format for its own-label beers that is...
Makro uses 'Life Extending Stickers' to guide consumers towards less food waste
Sustainability

Makro uses 'Life Extending Stickers' to guide consumers towards less food waste

To support its sustainability objectives and tackle the widespread issue of food waste in fresh...