Stacey Williams, the head of business development at Gander, has welcomed the recent decision made by Marks & Spencer to eliminate use-by dates on milk as a move towards reducing waste. Morrisons and Arla have already switched to a best before date for milk, and it is great to see such a major retailer following suit. Williams believes that this decision will pave the way for other supermarkets to reduce waste and promote the idea that a reduced price does not necessarily mean reduced quality.
Gander is an organization that is passionate about helping retailers and consumers understand that edible food that expires daily does not mean it should be wasted. This message is particularly important at a time when rising food prices have hit consumers’ budgets hard. Williams hopes that more supermarket groups will follow the example of M&S and promote this decision to reduce waste.
In addition to this inspiring decision, M&S has made other moves towards reducing food waste. For example, they have turned surplus loaves into garlic bread, a highly successful initiative that has repurposed over 2 million loaves since 2020. Innovation and collaboration in the retail industry are essential to tackle food waste and change the consumer’s perception of yellow label food.
In conclusion, the decision made by M&S to eliminate use-by dates on milk is a positive step towards reducing food waste and promoting the idea that affordable food can still be of high quality. Williams hopes that this commendable move by M&S will inspire other supermarket groups to take similar action to tackle food waste and change the consumer’s perception of food that is near its expiration date.
