Have you noticed more mouldy food on shelves since the removal of ‘best before’ dates?

In a bid to reduce food waste, most major retailers have removed ‘best before’ dates from their fresh produce.

This move had been recommended by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (Wrap) saying that ‘best before’ dates on fruit and vegetables are unnecessary and contribute to climate change.

The dates have been replaced by a code which is used by store staff to ensure quality and freshness.

Sounds sensible but our Silversurfers team has found the reality is not working quite so well. Pre-packaged fruit in particular more often than not will have one or two mouldy fruits at the bottom or middle of the packet where it can’t be seen. This is obviously extremely frustrating to find when unpacking your groceries at home, not to mention a waste of money too.

We have concluded that loose fruit or vegetables that can be examined before you buy is the surest and safest way to shop.

Have you found the same? Have you inadvertently bought fresh produce that is past its best?