Food waste

[Tengu]

So they would, and according to our sensible buyer protection laws, rightly so.

I don't think any of us disagree with that.

(Incidentaly, what is the ratio of stuff wasted by shops as opposed to stuff wasted by buyers?)

 

[British Red]

That Tengu is an excellent question!

I would add the question "how much food do we import from countries where there is a hunger problem"?

The best way we could help such countries is to leave their food in their countries rather than support our bloated population by "buying" food from them.

 

[Gaudette]

So they would, and according to our sensible buyer protection laws, rightly so.

I don't think any of us disagree with that.

(Incidentaly, what is the ratio of stuff wasted by shops as opposed to stuff wasted by buyers?)

Depending on how well the store is managed a large supermarket will have a waste bill of between 2-4%. So on a turnover of £500000 per week about 10 to 20k. Mind you I have been out of the business for some years.

 

[Gaudette]

Sell by dates aren't an indicator of when food is inedible or unsafe. It's an indicator of when the food starts to drop below a certain quality level. For instance Vintage cheddar can age for up to 5 years but when it's cut and packaged it's given a 28 day code but will still be fine if kept properly long after the 28 days.

 

[British Red]

Sell by dates aren't an indicator of when food is inedible or unsafe. It's an indicator of when the food starts to drop below a certain quality level. For instance Vintage cheddar can age for up to 5 years but when it's cut and packaged it's given a 28 day code but will still be fine if kept properly long after the 28 days.

Not so - "Sell By" has been replaced by "Use By" and it very much is a safety date.

I believe you are thinking of "Best Before" date

Lots of foods are labelled with “use by” or “best before” dates. “Use by” dates appear on foods that go off quickly and specify the last date they can be safely eaten, while “best before” and “display until” dates state the date when the taste or quality of the food will begin to decline.
“Use by” dates are typically found on dairy products, meat and fish, which spoil quickly and can cause illness if eaten after their “use by” dates. According to the FSA, it can be dangerous to eat food past the “use by” date even though the food might look and smell fine. It should be noted that instructions such as “consume within three days of opening” don’t mean that the products can be eaten for three days if they were opened on their “use by” date - this date should still be seen as the last date that they can be consumed safely. Freezable food can be frozen any time up until the “use by” date, although it’s important to check the packaging for further instructions on how to freeze and thaw it along with the length of time you can safely store it for

 

[Gaudette]

Not so - "Sell By" has been replaced by "Use By" and it very much is a safety date.

I believe you are thinking of "Best Before" date

Quite correct sorry got mixed up. However, on perishable foods the use by date is the date set at which there should be no risk from increased microbiological ( I think that's the phrase) deterioration. Just because this date is reached doesn't mean the food is unsafe or inedible. I don't know if it's the case now but there used to be some flexibility in the length of sell by dates I.e for peak trading periods.

 

[British Red]

You are quite right. There is probably nothing wrong with it, but it could have, for example, botulism, which cannot be seen or smelled. Its about risk, the supermarket will be sued for millions if it has.