Two thirds of Brits ignore use by dates

New research from Mintel reveals that two thirds (67%) of UK consumers rely on their own senses, such as smell, taste and sight, rather than use by or best before dates to decide if a product is still suitable to eat.

Just over half (56%) agree that it’s safe to eat food past its best before date, despite this being a guideline for food quality rather than safety. On the other hand, one in four (28%) say it’s safe to eat food past its use by date, even though doing so could put their health at risk.

In addition, just under half (47%) said they would like brands and supermarkets to provide more advice on how to store food safely.

Douglas Faughnan, senior food and drink analyst at Mintel, says, “The lack of understanding and apparent disregard for use by and best before date labels is problematic on two fronts – consumer safety and food waste. Part of the problem may be down to consumer confusion around what the different terms on pack mean, with the likes of ‘use by’, ‘best before’ and ‘display until’ apparently not clear or distinct enough.

“Our findings underline the scope for operators to win favour by combatting such misconceptions and helping households to save money by reducing food waste. The openness from consumers to greater involvement from supermarkets and brands on how to store food safely further highlights the potential role for them in offering advice on shelf life.”

Mintel’s research also shows that there are other steps manufacturers and brands can take to encourage trust amongst consumers. Half (50%) of Brits say they would trust a food or drink company or brand more if it had a clear label from a food quality assurance scheme while the same proportion (50%) say they would have more trust if clear packaging was used, so they can see what is inside.