Overview
- A survey of 2,000 UK adults estimates £11.8 billion of food is discarded each year, with the average person throwing away £17.90 a month or £214.27 annually.
- 51% of respondents say they have unknowingly purchased out-of-date items, while 71% believe supermarkets should do more to cut waste and 75% think clearer labelling would help.
- Tesco is testing GS1 UK‑powered QR codes intended to improve date accuracy, support stock rotation and discounts, and provide up-to-date storage and expiry guidance.
- Nearly half of shoppers say they would use scannable codes to track expiry dates and receive app alerts, and four in ten say scanning would increase confidence in freshness.
- Regulators fined Asda £640,000 in July after trading standards found 115 out-of-date items at two Cardiff stores, highlighting the risks of poor date management.