Three months after the start of the test: Greenpeace takes stock of the long-term check on the shelf life of food

2023-06-27 04:00:48

Bread, smoked rolls & Co. can be eaten even three months after the best-before date has been exceeded – Greenpeace is calling on the federal government to expand the reporting obligation for food waste

Vienna (OTS) – The Greenpeace long-term check on the shelf life of food clearly shows that the best-before date is merely a guarantee of freshness. Because a full three months after the best-before date (MHD) has passed, five out of six products are harmless and still edible. Striezel, mixed bread, fresh eggs, smoked rolls and cream cheese lasted well beyond the best-before date. Greenpeace is therefore calling on the federal government to extend the obligation to report discarded and donated food to sectors such as the food industry.

“Our long-term check clearly shows that food lasts much longer than the best-before date would have us believe. In Austria, 26 kilograms of perfect food are thrown away every second. This waste must be stopped,” says Melanie Ebner, spokeswoman for agriculture at Greenpeace Austria. It was not until the end of May that the National Council passed an amendment to the Waste Management Act, which also includes a reporting requirement for supermarkets. From October, they should explain to the Ministry of the Environment how much food they have thrown away. It is currently only known that an estimated 71,000 tons of avoidable food ends up in the residual waste in the Austrian food trade. How high the number actually is is unclear. “The reporting obligation for supermarkets is a good first step to put a stop to food waste. But that alone will not be enough. The obligation to report must also be rolled out to other sectors such as gastronomy, public utilities and food producers. In addition, concrete reduction targets must be specified for the individual sectors,” demands Ebner.

Bread and baked goods end up in the bin most often in this country:
Around 210,000 tons are disposed of annually in households, in retail and in food production. In addition, there is the bread and other baked goods in the catering and hotel industry. “One in five foods that ends up in the trash is bread or pastries. As the Greenpeace long-term check shows, however, packaged baked goods last far beyond the best-before date. They should therefore not automatically be thrown in the bin after the best-before date has been exceeded,” says Ebner.
To ensure that less is thrown away in your own household, Greenpeace recommends that consumers store food properly. “Most products last particularly long if they are stored in a dark, cool and dry place,” says Ebner. If you want more tips on storage, the Greenpeace guide “Food Storage” (https://act.gp/3nWgbTV) find it. In general, the environmental protection organization advises relying on your own senses. “Whoever looks, smells and touches first not only protects the environment, but also saves money.”

Link to the lab results can be found here: https://act.gp/42OLcI7

You can find the link to the best-before date factsheet here:
https://act.gp/3Xg5zwt

The Greenpeace guide to storing food can be found at: https://act.gp/3nWgbTV

You can find image and video material at:
The image material is available free of charge for editorial use provided the credits are stated: Photos: © Mitja Kobal / Greenpeace Videos: © Greenpeace