The best before date on some of Unilever’s products under the Knorr and Hellmann’s brands will now be followed by the Danish phrase for “often good after” in a bid to cut food waste. Unilever Denmark took part in developing the concept with food waste reduction app Too Good To Go, along with other food manufacturers – including Carlsberg, Arla and Orkla Foods – who are now using the labeling on some of their Danish offerings. This autumn, three Knorr rice mini-meals launched in Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway will be the first Unilever products with the words.

“At Unilever, we are working on sustainability and food waste reduction. In 2019 and 2020, we will gradually implement the ‘often good after’ text as a guide for consumers on seleced food packaging. It is important for us to fight food waste and ensure that our food is eaten and not wasted. A large part of our Knorr foods have a long shelf life as they are dry and therefore naturally preserved [translated from Danish],” says Bjarne Steen Jensen, Managing Director at Unilever. 

More Nordic products will adopt the text next year, with other Unilever markets also looking into the possibility of implementing the text, although it must adhere to local legislation. “We are implementing it on new launches, wher it makes sense, and on existing products when an artwork updat is required. We are not implementing it on all our food products at once as that would result in packaging waste,” says a Unilever spokesperson.

“Sadly, too much food is being thrown away worldwide, and naturally we want to make sure that people eat more food, rather than it being wasted. Therefore, we want to tell our consumers to look at the food product, smell it or taste it, before throwing it out,” the spokesperson continues.

Last month, Carlsberg added the labeling to its new beer, Jacobsen pHresh & Sour. Many beers are better after storage, but acidity and water can affect the color, taste and microbiological durability of the product, notes Frederic Viking, Brand Manager for Jacobsen.

The Arla 24 range also uses the phrase on its labeling in Denmark and Sweden, with Jakob B. Knudsen, Country Director noting that the initiative is the “natural next step” for the company, which aims to reduce food waste. Meanwhile, Thise Dairy took the scheme one step further, with the company rolling out a guide on all milk cartons to educate consumers about how to use their senses to ascertain whether consumption is still safe. 

Other participating companies include Løgismose Meyers, Coop, Toms Group, Mikkeller, Letz Sushi, TeeDawn and Urtekram. The initiative is supported by Stop Wasting Food, Dansk Industri Fødevarer, Varefakta and several other food organizations.

The food waste burden
Food waste is a major issue in the industry, causing a 3.3 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions each year – 8 percent of the world’s CO2 emissions. Additionally, up to 10 percent of all food waste within the EU is linked to confusion about date labeling, highlighting the scheme’s potential. While use-by dates denote that there is a safety risk in eating food after the day stated, best before dates refer to the quality of the food, which may deteriorate after the date has passed. However, the consumption of foods after the best before date generally do not pose any health risk, with consumers being encouraged to use their senses to ascertain whether they wish to still use the product. 

“Food waste is top of mind for both consumers and retailers, but many are confused. ‘Often good after’ is a small but important step toward greater understanding that products do not need to be discarded when the best before date is passed. However, if we are to fight the issue seriously, the change must be mandatory and requires a change of law at EU level [translated from Danish,” says Mette Lykke, CEO of Too Good To Go. 

Also in the food waste space is Mimica, a start-up launching a freshness indicator that works in real-time by adjusting to temperature conditions. “Never before have we as consumers been more aware of the impacts that our consumption habits have on the planet,” Solveiga Pakštaitė, Founder and Director of Mimica, told FoodIngredientsFirst. 

A recent report by the World Resources Institute also highlighted how one billion metric tons of food are collectively lost or wasted every year along the food supply chain. The report also identifies three key steps to halve food loss and waste by 2030, including packaging solutions that extend shelf life and building practical capacity to reduce losses.