UK retailer Sainsbury’s is to change the guidance it gives consumers on storing frozen food.
New labels will advise customers to “freeze food as soon as possible up to the product’s use by date”.
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Previous labelling had advised customers to “freeze on day of purchase”. According to research from the Waste & Resources Action Programme, around 60% of customers believe food has to be frozen on the day of purchase, which is reinforced by labels used by retailers at present.
However, Sainsbury’s believes that changing this advice will “help stop over-cautious shoppers from throwing away up to 800,000 tonnes of perfectly good food each year”.
“The ‘freeze on day of purchase’ advice needs to be changed as there is no food safety reason why it cannot be frozen at any point prior to the use by date,” said Beth Hart, head of product technology for fresh and frozen at Sainsbury’s. “As a large UK retailer, we have a responsibility to minimise food waste where possible and this new labelling will certainly help us do that.”
Frozen food giant Birds Eye Iglo welcomed the initiative. “We have long believed that using the freezer can play an important role in helping families to plan meals, reduce food waste and save money,” managing director Andy Weston-Webb, said. “Freezing is a natural way to preserve food, helping to lock in taste and nutrients. This is a great initiative, and one we fully support.”
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