There are two types of best before dates on food packaging: the date of minimum durability (DDM) and expiration date (DLC). For a number of consumers, these dates are confusing and a lot of food that is still perfectly edible is thrown away, which leads to significant food waste. According to a 2015 European study, this waste represents 15 to 33% of food waste which, overall, weighs 88 million tonnes each year in the European Union, or 173 kilos per person per year.[1]! This results in a financial loss for the consumer and a significant ecological impact. Faced with this problem, the European Commission has decided to act.
DDM and DLC, How to differentiate them?
The DDM, or Minimum Durability Date, mainly aims to guarantee the quality of the foodstuff. When it is exceeded, the food may lose part of its texture, color or taste, but it remains generally edible, provided it has been stored under appropriate conditions, prescribed where appropriate on the label. . Before consuming the food or using it after MDD, however, it is recommended to make a visual inspection, smell or taste in order to detect a possible defect, for example a musty odor or a rancid taste.
DDM is indicated on medium or long shelf life products such as rice, pasta, coffee, chocolate or cookies.
The DLC or Consumption Deadline, on the other hand, aims to protect public health. When it is exceeded, the product can no longer be consumed.
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Whether for DDM or DLC, the date is only applicable if the packaging has not been opened or damaged. In this case, the foodstuff may become a perishable product in the short term and the stated shelf-life date no longer applies.
Ex: UHT milk can be stored for months at room temperature when the packaging is closed, but once opened it should be placed in the fridge and consumed quickly[1] . – |
The BBD is indicated on microbiologically very perishable foods, which, therefore, are likely, after a short period (of the order of a few days), to present an immediate danger to health, for example fresh prepackaged foods such as than meat, fish, salads, ready meals, etc. for which it is also very important to respect the cold chain.
Finally, frozen meat, frozen meat preparations and frozen unprocessed fishery products must indicate the date of freezing or first freezing (if the product has been frozen more than once).
Avenues explored for future developments
The European Commission, Belgium and the rest of the European Union are well aware that the misunderstanding of DDM and DLC contributes to food waste. This is why actions will be taken in the coming months and years at the European level to promote understanding of the dating of foodstuffs and the differences between DDM and DLC by all the players concerned, improve this dating on labels and review the rules. force.
To ensure that the measures will not have a negative impact on food safety, the European Commission has mandated EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) to provide it with scientific advice on:
- factors which, from a microbiological point of view, contribute to making certain foods highly perishable and likely to present an immediate danger to human health;
- the factors which, from a microbiological point of view and for foods which must be stored at controlled temperatures, contribute to the loss of the specific properties of these foods without this constituting an immediate danger to human health;
- how these factors should be taken into account by operators when deciding whether a date of minimum durability or a best before date is relevant and in determining the shelf life and storage conditions required.
The first part of EFSA’s opinion is available via this link.In this context, smart materials could also play a role against the waste of certain foods. Research is ongoing: various systems are being studied such as the darker coloring of the label when the food has become unfit for consumption, reading via a digital display, traffic lights, etc.
Other useful links
To learn more about food waste
About food security
About the revised rules for marking dates on labels
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