COMCEC
Reducing Food Waste
In the 01CMember Countries
Country Most common reasons causes % of answers
Over-purchasing 11
Over-stecking 16
Net willing te consume leftover feed 11
Uzbekistan Expiry date 53
Lack ef storage space 0
Need fer freshness 0
Other 0
Source: Field survey results: Cameroon, SaudiArabia & Turkey: 100 household and 100food service establishments;
Afghanistan, Benin, Senegal and Uzbekistan: 20 household and 20 food service establishments.
A review ef date label legislation adopted by OIC Member Countries suggests that many
countries de specify content fer feed labels, especially fer feed imported inte the country. This
content includes elements such as: list ef ingredients, allergenic ingredients, nutritional value,
preduct quantity, date ef minimum durability, special storage instructions, if the preduct
contains alcehel, country ef origin and instructions fer use.
Little information was found relating te date label use and shelf-life in the OIC Member
Countries. Of the few examples identified, Turkey has adopted EU Directives en the Labeling,
Presentation and Advertising ef heedstuffs; and Nutrition Labeling ef heedstuffs. her preducts
imported inte the country, all labels must be translated inte Turkish (Ozbag 2016]. heed labels
used must alse the date ef minimum durability fer highly perishable geeds (due te
microbiological activity], 'use by’ and date. A ‘best before’ date containing day and month fer
feeds expected te keep fer three months er less, er a ‘best before end’ date containing month
and year fer feeds expected te keep fer mere than three months but net longer than eighteen
months, er ‘best before end’ date containing either month and year er year enly fer feeds
expected te keep fer mere than eighteen months. Any special storage and use instructions
should alse be included (Ozbag, 2016].
As with Turkey, Saudi Arabia alse requires feed labels en imported feed te be in Arabic er
translated inte Arabic. hrem the perspective ef trying te enceurage censumers te reduce feed
waste, this is critical as instructions en proper storage, ceeking methods and ‘use by’ dates are
important te adhere te fer feed waste reduction at heme. Saudi Arabian feed labelling legislation
alse makes specific reference te shelf-life date labels being clear and unambigueus (Indian
Institute ef hereign Trade, n.d.).
Whilst little information was obtained en shelf-life and date label legislation in the OIC Member
Countries, it can be assumed that date labels cause just as much cenfusien te householders in
these countries as they de in countries where feed waste behaviors and causes have been
investigated in relation te date labels e.g. the UK (Enright, Geed, &Williams, 2010]. Due te this
cenfusien and the link te feed waste, the US recently introduced a feed waste bill that will make
expiry date labelling mere consistent and coherent, with the end geal te help reduce a key trigger
ef feed waste in America (Wee, 2016].
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