The industry has been lauded by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) for its progress in helping consumers reduce food waste.
WRAP’s 2012 retailer survey found an increase in the availability of smaller pack sizes, clearer date labelling and improved storage guidance are all helping consumers.
The 2012 survey looked at 12,000 products across 20 different categories where food waste has traditionally been high, including apples, carrots, potatoes and pre-packed salads.
The survey’s findings included: Increased availability of smaller packs of potatoes and 96 per cent of all products surveyed carried storage guidance, helping consumers keep food fresher for longer.
The report also found use of “display until” dates has fallen dramatically with less than a third of surveyed products carrying this and no “sell by” dates were found on any of the products.
Sainsbury’s was singled out for praise for its use of larger typesize for use-by dates on fresh produce. WRAP design and waste prevention director Richard Swannell said: “These steps reduce confusion and help consumers know when to eat foods by.”
While the results suggest good progress, WRAP has cautioned there is still more that needs to be done to help consumers waste less.
Swannell said: “We’re continuing to work closely with the food industry through the Courtauld Commitment, trade associations, the Food Standards Agency and governments, to provide clear recommendations, and the evidence they need to implement further changes.
“There are areas where we think retailers could continue to make improvements - for example, by removing display-until dates, increasing consistency of use-by or best-before date use - and ensuring that consumers are given as long as possible to make use of the food (shelf-life)…could also make a big difference.”
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