Ditching Food Packaging & Best Before dates

Retailers are being urged to stop selling types of uncut fruit and vegetables in the usual plastic packaging, research has found that selling produce loose has huge potential to reduce food waste in homes.

WRAP has also called on major retailers to remove date labels from uncut fresh produce unless it can be shown with results that show a best before date can reduce overall food waste and to communicate the benefits of storing some fresh produce in the fridge. Apples, for example, were found to last almost 70 days longer in the fridge to normal conditions.

WRAP's research projects also found that selling uncut fresh produce loose and removing best before dates across apples, bananas, broccoli, cucumbers and potatoes could, in turn, prevent 100,000 tonnes of household food waste and around 10,3000 tonnes of plastic being produced. This could collectively save 130,000 tonnes of CO2e.

If a wider range of products that are currently sometimes sold loose was only sold loose, it would save more than 21,500 tonnes of plastic. For apples, potatoes and bananas, enabling people to buy the right amount was found to be the most impactful way in which selling lose will help to reduce food waste.

Removing date labels from apples, potatoes, bananas, cucumbers and broccoli alone could save 50,000 tonnes of food wasted in the home every year, according to WRAP.

WRAP also called on retailers to help people understand the benefits of storing appropriate fresh produce in the fridge, set at the right temperature. Storing cucumber and broccoli at optimal fridge temperature (4°C) gave significantly more life compared to a sub-optimal fridge temperature (9°C).

“This important research could be a game-changer in the fight against food waste and plastic pollution,” said WRAP CEO Marcus Gover. “We have demystified the relationship between wasted food, plastic packaging, date labels and food storage. While the packaging is important and often carries out a critical role to protect food, we have proven that plastic packaging doesn’t necessarily prolong the life of uncut fresh produce. It can increase food waste in this case.”

WRAP has challenged retailers to remove plastic packaging for uncut fresh fruit and vegetables unless it has been demonstrated to reduce food waste as part of newly published guidance for UK Plastics Pact members.