Co-op supermarket removes use by date on yoghurt

Child eating yoghurt.Image source, Getty Images

Have your grown-ups ever let you eat food that was slightly past its best?

It normally comes with the reassurance that "it'll be fine!"

Well that's exactly what the Co-op supermarket is doing with its own brand of yoghurt.

And it's all part of a plan to reduce food waste.

They're replacing a use-by date on the product - which tells you when it should be thrown away - with a best before date - which is a date where food is still edible, but may not be quite as good as when it was fresh.

Use-by / Best before dates

Use-by date: This is a deadline that shows when a product may no longer be safe to eat.

Best before date: This is a guideline of when you should eat a food and is more an indication of quality and taste rather than food safety.

The Food Standards Agency, which looks at the quality of food, says it's up to manufacturers - those who produce and package the product - to decide whether to have a a use-by or best before date. It depends on factors such as how the food is made and how risky it is to eat past a certain length of time.

Nick Cornwall from the Co-op says yoghurt can be safe if stored unopened in a fridge after the date mark, as the acidity in the dairy product stops it from spoiling.

He added that the supermarket is encouraging shoppers to "use their judgment" if their yoghurt has past its best before date, explaining that the move was designed to help reduce food waste and was "better for the environment".

The Co-op says that six million people in the UK eat a yoghurt every day.

And research from recycling charity Wrap shows that half of yoghurts are thrown away unopened, mainly because they were not eaten before the use by date.

Catherine David from Wrap said the charity was "delighted" at the change, as the date listed on yoghurt packets is a "fundamental reason that it is wasted at home".

"Wasting food feeds climate change and costs money," she said.

"Applying a best before date helps give people the confidence to use their judgment to eat beyond a best before date and use more of the yogurt they buy."

And the Co-Op isn't the only supermarket to move from use by dates to best before dates. Morrison's changed the recommendation on its own brand of milk in January.

Media caption,

Jenny explains the sniff test! after Morrisons scrap use-by date on milk

What is food poisoning?

The NHS website says food poisoning occurs when you "eat something that has been contaminated with germs."

Any type of food can cause food poisoning and it can happen for a number of different reasons. For example if food has gone off, is not cooked or reheated thoroughly, or if it's left out for too long, or it's handled by someone who's ill or has not washed their hands.

So what do you think?

Is it a smart idea to reduce food waste by letting people make their own decisions about when food is OK to eat? Or does the idea of eating yoghurt that's past its best make you go "Eeeuww!".

Let us know in the comments below!