COMCEC
Reducing Food Waste
In the OIC Member Countries
Confusion about food date labelling
With an increasing tendency for consumption of processed foods, the extension of food chains
and the dwindling of personal links between producers and consumers, consumers rely more
and more on date labels to provide guidance on product freshness and shelf-life. Various studies
in the US (NRDC, 2013], Europe (Bio Intelligence Service, 2010), UK (WRAP, 2011b] and Spain
(HISPACOOP, 2012] highlight that food date labelling, and confusion about it, are a major cause
of food waste. Confusion over date labelling and consumer misunderstanding of date labels
accounts for a substantial part of household food waste (54%) in the UK (GfK, 2009; WRAP,
2009], and in France this confusion can result in approximately 7kgs per person per year of food
waste (Garot, 2014].
Two main types of date label exist:
1] Date of expiry (DLC], and
2] Deadline for optimal use (DLUO].
The differences between the two are explained in Table 9, and reflect their use in the EU.
Table 9: Two types of date labeling used in the European Union
Date label Representation on the
label
Meaning
Expiry date (DLC)
Usually used on high perishable
products e.g. meat, fish, eggs and
dairy
‘Use-by’ accompanied by
the day and month
e.g. use by18/02
Beyond the specified date,
the product cannot be sold
or consumed as it could
lead to food toxicity
Deadline for optimal use (DLUO)
Usually used on products that are
moderately or less perishable
The label informs the consumer about
the time beyond which the
organoleptic qualities and nutritional
product may deteriorate
‘Best before’ accompanied
by the day and month.
e.g. to be consumed
best before 18/02
For food with a shelf life
less than 3 months
‘Best before’ accompanied
by month and year
e.g. to be consumed
best before the end of May
2016
For food with a shelf life
between 3 and 18 months
‘Best before’ accompanied
by the year e.g. to be
consumed best before end
2016
For food with a shelf life
greater than 18 months
Source: ALEC (2014)
The date mark ‘best-before’ relates to food quality and indicates the date until which the food
retains its specific properties when properly stored. ‘Use-by’ relates to food safety. From a
microbiological perspective foods are highly perishable and are therefore likely -after a short
period -to become an immediate danger to human health. A product with a ‘use-by’ date cannot
be sold after that date.
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