The issue of food waste caused by confusing expiration dates, such as ‘best before’ and ‘use by,’ is a major concern for consumers and contributes to the majority of food waste in developed countries. HelloFresh, a meal kit company, believes that time temperature indicators (TTIs) are a key solution to address this problem. TTIs provide real-time information about the shelf life of products, taking into account storage and temperature conditions. HelloFresh has collaborated with Keep-it Technologies, a company that makes shelf-life indicators for meat and fish products, to test the effectiveness of TTIs.
In a study conducted in collaboration with Wageningen University and the Thünen Institute, HelloFresh tested Keep-It’s TTI solution on salmon packets for 3,000 customers in the Netherlands and Germany. The study showed that the label had the potential to reduce food waste by 15% and was positively received by consumers.
However, TTIs cannot be used as alternatives to traditional printed date marking due to regulatory restrictions. The European Commission had planned to revise date marking rules as part of its update of the Food Information to Consumers (FIC) regulation, but the process has been significantly delayed. HelloFresh believes this delay is a missed opportunity to address the problem of food waste.
To push for regulatory change, HelloFresh was a co-signatory of an open letter sent to the Executive Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, in December 2022. The letter, supported by 30 European companies and organizations, called for a European regulatory framework to allow TTIs as alternatives to printed date marking. HelloFresh plans to continue conversations with policymakers at national and European levels to raise awareness and create a path towards regulatory approval for TTIs.
Consumer concern about food waste is on the rise, as evidenced by a survey conducted by HelloFresh and Kantar. The survey revealed that one in five consumers throw away perfectly safe food based solely on date labeling. More than 40% of participants expressed a need for a new food labeling system to minimize waste, and over half agreed that consumers need more education on how to avoid food waste at home.
HelloFresh is committed to fighting food waste throughout the value chain and has implemented various initiatives to reduce waste. If regulatory changes permit the use of TTIs, there will be no additional costs for consumers. HelloFresh believes that the environmental impact of wasting ingredients like fish and meat can be minimized through the use of TTIs.
In conclusion, HelloFresh is advocating for regulatory changes to allow the use of TTIs as alternatives to printed date marking. The company believes that TTIs have the potential to significantly reduce food waste and is committed to fighting food waste in various ways. The results of their study and the growing consumer concern about food waste highlight the need for a new approach to labeling and educating consumers on food waste prevention.
