BestBefore – Establishment of shelf life (“best before date”) in microbiologically non-perishable foods to reduce food wastage

In the EU, it is estimated that 20% of food is lost or wasted and, according to European Commission data, up to 10% of the 88 million tonnes of food wasted annually would be associated with date marking.

In packaged food, date marking is regulated by Regulation (EU) No 1169/2022 on the provision of food information to consumers (FIC) which establishes the obligation to mention a date of minimum durability or, where appropriate, a ‘use by’ date.

The key to the distinction between the two dates is that the best-before date relates to the quality of the product and the use-by date to its food safety. The tool developed in the BestDate demonstration activity (https://bestdate.irta.cat), following the decision tree developed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), is a support for food businesses to help them to correctly set the best-before date and thus contribute to reducing food waste.

However, there is still a step to be taken: the correct establishment of durability in cases where a best-before date is applicable, as this date is a recommendation and the food remains safe for the consumer once it has been exceeded, provided that its storage instructions have been respected, the packaging is intact and its sensory characteristics are acceptable. Given that some processors have expressed their difficulty in establishing it, the BestBefore activity aims to teach food companies how to apply, through practical examples, a methodology to establish it, based on the determination of parameters and factors that determine it. In addition, a user-friendly tool will be developed and made available online to establish the minimum shelf life based on the Q10 concept. The project includes the dissemination of the tool and the ‘best before’ date concept. A further step in the direction of reducing food waste.

PAC Strategic Plan 2023-2027 action co-financed by: