Too Good to Go tackles Best Before food waste in partnership with top UK brands
Courtesy of Too Good To Go
Too Good To Go, the anti-food waste company, has partnered with some of the nation’s favourite brands to tackle date label confusion and help eliminate food waste.
The ‘Look, Smell, Taste, Don’t Waste’ campaign, which launches today (26 January) already has 25 brands signed up, and Too Good To Go is calling on others to follow. The campaign will see brands switching products from “Use By” to “Best Before” labels where appropriate, as well as giving on-pack reminders to consumers to use their senses to decide whether to eat food past its Best Before.
New research conducted by Too Good To Go suggests that in the UK, 45% of adults are confused about the true meaning of “Best Before” labels on food. When it comes to checking whether food is good to eat or not, over one third (39%) of Brits do not use their senses to make a decision about food that is past its “Best Before”. This is leading to food being thrown away unnecessarily.
Amongst the 25 taking part are some of the nation’s biggest brands. Arla (Cravendale), Bel Group (The Laughing Cow), Danone (Danone, Actimel, Activia, Oykos, Light & Free), Emmi UK (Onken & Beleaf), Nestle and Savencia (Saint Agur Creme) have all signed up to join the ‘Look, Smell, Taste, Don’t Waste’ campaign. Product lines from these brands will include a new pictogram, created by Too Good To Go, to remind consumers to trust their senses instead of just relying on “Best Before” date labels.
Also joining the campaign and providing ‘Look, Smell, Taste, Don’t Waste’ messaging to consumers via promotional materials and product line communications are the following brands:
- 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
Commenting on the launch, Jamie Crummie, co-founder of Too Good To Go, said: “Date labelling has long caused confusion and unnecessary food waste in the UK. If we are to make significant strides to reducing food waste, we need to take action now. This is why we’re launching our national, industry-wide ‘Look, Smell, Taste, Don’t Waste’ campaign.
“I’m delighted that we’re launching this campaign alongside 25 household brands. To have Arla, Bel Group, Danone, Emmi UK, and Nestle already committing to educate their consumers, is a huge testament to the power that collective action can have. I’m calling on other brands who haven’t yet taken the steps to join the campaign to get in touch – we’d love to have you join our food waste movement.”
The Too Good To Go labelling on Danone yogurt product packaging. Courtesy of Too Good To Go
Adam Grant, regional VP Danone Essential Dairy and Plant Based, UK & Ireland, said: “It’s shocking to think that more than 6 million tonnes of food is wasted in UK households each year. In line with our ‘One Planet. One Health’ vision and our B Corp commitment, I’m proud that Danone Essential Dairy & Plant-based brands are some of the first brands joining Too Good To Go’s ‘Look, Smell, Taste, Don’t Waste’ campaign and moving from ‘Use By’ to ‘Best Before’ date labelling. We’ll also be adding campaign messaging to our packs to encourage our consumers to use their senses to avoid needless waste.
“With some of the nation’s favourite yogurt brands making this move, we will play a role in preventing unnecessary household food waste while supporting consumers to understand when food is still safe to eat.”
David Moon, Head of Business Collaboration at WRAP said: “Helping people understand date labels to make the most of their food is a really important way to avoid food going to waste. Food with a ‘Best Before’ date can be good to eat for days, weeks or even months beyond the date on pack depending on the food type, and how it’s been stored and Love Food Hate Waste provides advice on how to store food correctly. We support Too Good To Go’s call for people to use their senses in deciding when to eat food labelled with a ‘Best Before’ date. It’s important though to remember that a ‘Use By’ date is the safety marker, and there to protect us. Food with a ‘Use By’ date should never be eaten after that date, so we should try to use or freeze these items before they expire.”
For more information on Too Good To Go’s ‘Look, Smell, Taste, Don’t Waste’ campaign and for details on how to join the initiative visit looksmelltaste.co.uk.
