Morrisons is scrapping the ‘use by’ date on most of their milk

Virgin Radio

11 Jan 2022, 10:28

The supermarket is getting rid of the ‘use by’ date on their own brand milk and encouraging customers to use the ‘sniff test’ before throwing the product away.

A ‘best before’ date will instead be used on 90% of their own-brand milk to prevent millions of pints from being poured down the sink.

This change comes as milk is the third most wasted food and drink product in the UK, just ahead of Potatoes and bread, and according to the recycling charity Wrap, around 490 million pints of milk is wasted every year.

They also estimate that 85 million pints are wasted due to customers following the use by labels, even though research shows the product can still be consumed safely days after the date.

Morrisons is the first supermarket to make this move, which is due to start next month, and Ian Goode, a senior milk buyer for the company, described it as a “bold step”.

In a BBC interview, he said: “Wasted milk means wasted effort by our farmers and unnecessary carbon being released into the atmosphere.

"Good quality, well-kept milk has a good few days life after normal 'use by' dates - and we think it should be consumed, not tipped down the sink.

"So, we're taking a bold step today and asking customers to decide whether their milk is still good to drink. Generations before us have always used the sniff test - and I believe we can too."

The decision to scrap 'use by' dates could save up to seven million pints of the supermarket’s own brand milk from being poured away each year.

So, what exactly is the difference between ‘use by’ and ‘best before’?

Well, ‘use by’ dates offer guidance on when perishable foods can be cooked and consumed safely, whereas ‘best before’ dates indicate when a product should be consumed to get the best quality, taste and texture.

What Morrisons is encouraging customers to do is use the ‘sniff test’ to determine whether the milk is still good to consume rather than relying on dates.

They explained: “The dates on the milk will stay the same - it is what we are asking customers to do which is changing.”

The supermarket has already binned use by dates across a few of their own-brand yogurt and hard cheese ranges.

Marcus Gover from Wrap was excited about the change and said: "I am delighted that Morrisons is the first UK supermarket to take this important step to help reduce household food waste - it shows real leadership and we look forward to more retailers reviewing date labels on their products and taking action."

According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), it is perfectly safe to have either a 'use by' or 'best before' date on milk, depending on its processing and type.

However, they said dates must be displayed clearly and based on “robust evidence about the product concerned”.

Although you probably shouldn’t rely on the ‘sniff test’ for everything you consume, as the FSA stressed it is generally not an appropriate safety test especially with things that could cause food poisoning.