A renewed effort is underway in Germany to eliminate expiry dates on a range of food products, aiming to significantly reduce the nation’s considerable food waste. The initiative, championed by members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), focuses on items like pasta, rice and canned goods, where the “best before” date often leads to perfectly edible products being discarded.
According to SPD parliamentary spokesperson Esra Limbacher, millions of tons of good, consumable food end up in the waste stream annually, largely due to consumer misunderstanding of expiry date relevance for long-lasting staples. The sheer volume of this waste is startling; an estimated 50 times the capacity of Berlin’s Olympic Stadium could be filled with the food currently being discarded.
The rationale behind the proposal argues that the continued presence of these dates creates unnecessary consumer confusion and contributes directly to the problem of food waste, particularly when discussions center on ensuring food security. The SPD believes that items like canned goods, tea, pasta and rice frequently remain perfectly safe and palatable even years after the indicated expiry date.
While the current coalition agreement between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and SPD acknowledges the importance of tackling food waste through various levels of support for charitable organizations, it does not specify a direct policy change regarding “best before” dates. The SPD’s latest proposal suggests a potential shift in approach, advocating for a re-evaluation of existing labeling practices to minimize waste and promote greater consumer awareness.