Marks & Spencer has announced it will remove use-by dates from its fresh milk and replace them with best-before dates in a bid to cut food waste. The change applies to M&S Select Farms British and organic fresh milk, and comes into effect this week.
The supermarket urged customers to use their own judgement to determine whether the milk is safe to consume, rather than relying solely on labels. M&S said improvements in milk quality and shelf-life meant consumers could assess what is still good to eat.
Milk is among the most wasted foods in UK households, with nearly 490 million pints thrown away each year, according to environmental charity Wrap. The main reason cited is not drinking it before the use-by date.
M&S follows other retailers such as Morrisons, which in January removed use-by dates from 90% of its own-brand milk and encouraged customers to use a “sniff test”. However, the Food Standards Agency advises that milk with a use-by date should not be consumed after that date, even if it smells fine, as harmful bacteria may not be detectable by smell.
For milk with a best-before date, the agency says it can be sniffed to check if it has gone bad, but those with a reduced sense of smell should ask someone else to check or avoid using it after the date. Supermarkets have been phasing out use-by dates on fruit and vegetables for several years to reduce waste.
