Food News

The EU Commission plans to revise the food labelling regulation as a measure against increasing food waste.

Most food products in the EU must bear a best-before date or a use-by date. After the expiry of the printed date, however, the majority of products can still be enjoyed without any loss of quality. What was intended as a guarantee of quality by the manufacturer when stored properly, however, often leads in many households to perfectly good food being discarded unchecked after the date has passed, for fear that it could be spoiled or even harmful to health after the expiration date.

Need for action

In view of the fact that 700 million people on earth suffer from malnutrition and that these absurdly destroyed foodstuffs required 2.6 million hectares of agricultural land for their production and released approx. 50 million tonnes of CO² in the process, action must be taken.
The EU Commission is therefore considering changing the labelling regulation. The proposal is circulating that in future only perishable goods should be labelled with a use by date. This would at least put an end to the discussion when a packet of table salt with an expired best-before date is discovered in the cupboard. By the way, table salt is already exempt from the best-before date, even if some manufacturers still print a best-before date on it. 

YOUR PLUS: AGROLAB laboratories test foodstuffs for legally compliant labelling and also carry out shelf life tests on perishable products.