Danish retailer Dagrofa has announced that it has introduced new date labels on more than 900 food items.
The move aims to reduce confusion over 'best before' date markings, which has resulted in good food ending up in waste bins.
The new marking will be available on some of the group's own-brand products, including the labels OMHU, Gestus, Grøn Balance, and First Price.
Food Waste
A 2018 study by the European Commission estimated that up to 10% of European food waste results from confusion about the 'best before' date marking.
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency estimates that private households account for the largest share of the total Danish food waste at 36%, equivalent to around 260,000 tonnes.
The introduction of a new date marking on Dagrofa products will help reduce this figure.
It will educate customers about food products that can still be eaten for a short period after the 'best before' date is up without any health risks.
Durability Guide
The retailer believes that consumers do not receive enough guidance related to the shelf life of food products and has decided to introduce a new durability guide on all its private-label products that already have a 'best before' marking.
According to Dagrofa CSR manager, Henrik Engberg Johannsen, the move means that customers will be able to see the text 'best before' and 'often good after' on own-brand products such as pasta, groats, spices, preserves."
Johannsen hopes the changes made to its food products provide clarity to customers and allows the group to "reduce food waste and thus reduce the burden on the climate."
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
