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Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue organization, released new research today examining Canada’s current date coding regulations (such as the use of “best before” and “expiry” dates on product packaging) and how they compare to global best practices, highlighting opportunities to reduce waste while maintaining food safety and consumer confidence.
The release of the “Date Coding and Food Waste Research Report” also marks the launch of a national campaign calling for a food waste reduction framework to be part of Canada’s Food Security Strategy. The non-profit is calling on Canadians to take action by writing directly to their Member of Parliament in support of this recommendation.
Every year, Canada wastes 46.5% of its food — $58 billion worth — and nearly a quarter of that is linked to confusion around date labels. Introduced in 1976, “best before” dates are legally only required on packaged products with a durable life of 90 days or less, but are common on shelf-stable products even though they are not an indicator of food safety.
While peer countries, such as the UK, Australia, Korea, Japan and several countries in the EU, have identified date coding misinterpretation as a driver of food waste and begun modernizing their labelling system as part of a broader national food waste reduction effort, Canada is falling behind. At the same time, more Canadians are facing food insecurity than ever.
The federal government is currently developing a National Food Security Strategy, which offers a critical opportunity to strengthen our food system and improve access to affordable food. The strategy will be stronger if it includes meaningful action to reduce food waste:
- Establish national food waste reduction targets and standardize food waste data collection;
- Modernize “best before” date labelling, as date coding accounts for 23% of avoidable food waste from processing to purchasing;
- Commit to sustained investment in the charitable hunger-relief sector so more surplus food can reach communities across Canada.
Wasting food while millions go hungry is a problem we can solve, but only if we act together.
Join Second Harvest in advancing a national food waste strategy now at www.secondharvest.ca/take-action
Learn how date labels are driving food waste by reading the “Date Coding and Food Waste Research Report” at www.secondharvest.ca/research/date-coding-and-food-waste
About Second Harvest
Second Harvest is Canada’s largest food rescue organization and a global thought leader on food waste and perishable food redistribution. It rescues unsold surplus food from thousands of food businesses from across the supply chain to redistribute it to non-profits in every province and territory. This prevents harmful greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere while improving access to nutrition for millions of Canadians experiencing food insecurity. Beyond food rescue and redistribution, Second Harvest is deeply involved in advocacy, research, training and education. Its groundbreaking reports, such as “The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste,” provide critical data and insights to inform public policy and educate the public on sustainable food systems.
Second Harvest is committed to driving systemic change, helping to shape policies and practices that reduce food waste and address its role in climate change, while also supporting communities by providing them with the food they need.
Media inquiries
For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact
Giao Chau, Communications Manager
Second Harvest
416-346-3617
giaoc@secondharvest.ca
