Groundbreaking EU Plan - It would affect everyone in their daily shopping

Consumers must expect a change in their shopping habits due to an EU project: Serious changes will be made for many foods.

Munich - Food waste is one of the greatest tasks of our time.

The EU Commission is planning to get this problem under control based on a compilation of several proposals.

This would mean groundbreaking changes for consumers that will find their way into every supermarket: abolishing the best-before date (BBD) in the form we know today.

According to investigations, around 80 million tons of food are thrown away every year in the European Union - although a large number of the food would still be edible.

According to estimates, a good half of this is accounted for by private households.

Statistically, this means that an average of 150 kilograms per inhabitant end up in the garbage can every year.

Best before information in supermarkets: Consumers and retail chains are responsible

A significant proportion is based on the labeling with the expiry date of food: It explains until when a product is at least (!) Best before.

Many consumers then simply throw products away, even though the food is still more likely to be edible afterwards.

The best before date represents a guarantee on the part of the manufacturer that perishable goods such as dairy products, pasta or confectionery can still be safely consumed.

If food is spoiled before the expiry date or the packaging is no longer intact, the food trade usually exchanges the products.

But the retail chains themselves are also responsible for not throwing away products just because the best-before date has expired.

Some vendors sell corresponding goods at lower prices.

Food waste: EU Commission plans to revolutionize best-before dates

The EU Commission would like to reduce food waste based on several proposed solutions.

One starting point: foods that keep for a particularly long time should not be given a best-before date at all in the future.

As the

explains, these are products such as pasta, rice, oils or hot drinks such as coffee or tea.

It would be even more “radical” to ban all BBD information from the packaging.

But then there would still be a use-by date on at least perishable foods, as the

explains.

We explain the difference to the best before date in this article.

Another suggestion is to change the labeling requirement so that in future, instead of “best before ...”, alternative designations such as “often good after ...” will be used.

Incidentally, it is up to the manufacturer which data is given on the packaging with regard to consumption and best before date.

With regard to its “From Farm to Fork” strategy, the EU Commission would like to optimize many of the current laws relating to the production and sale of food in the coming months.

Aldi, Lidl and Co .: No more best before date?

Which would result in less food waste

What would be the positive effects of such measures, which are to be concretized in 2022?

There are several aspects:

• Less would have to be produced.

• Groceries would probably be cheaper.

• The production pressure in agriculture is falling.

• Less production means less CO2 emissions.

• Reduction in traffic.

Meanwhile, there are serious changes to the corona rules in some federal states.

In two countries, the 2G option applies to Aldi, Rewe, Lidl and other markets.