Date Coding and Food Waste

In Canada, nearly a quarter of avoidable food waste that occurs between processing and purchase is driven by date coding practices, specifically best before dates.  

That means around 1.6 million metric tonnes — or $13.43 billion worth of safe and edible food — either doesn’t make it to a grocery store shelf or is thrown out too soon.  

Canada is lagging peer countries in its approach to date coding and food waste reduction. This report makes four recommendations on how we should adjust date coding to efficiently reduce food waste and educate consumers:

• Removing unnecessary “best before” dates on certain shelf-stable foods

• Clarifying labelling so consumers can distinguish between safety and quality

• Supporting public education to reduce confusion around date labels

• Developing a national strategy that includes modernizing date coding as part of a broader food waste reduction plan, aligning with international best practices.