Too Good To Go, the social impact company behind the world’s largest surplus food app, has teamed up with a number of leading Irish brands to address the confusion surrounding food labels, and reduce unnecessary food waste. The Look-Smell-Taste campaign aims to raise consumers awareness about the difference between Use By and Best Before labels, encouraging the nation to use their senses to determine if food past its Best Before date may still be good to eat. Participating brands such as Guinness Food Products, Ballymaloe Foods, Danone, Kellogg’s, Wexford Cheese, The Plant-It Food Co., and others will now include a new ‘Look-Smell-Taste Don’t Waste’ label on their products to guide consumers.
Also attending the launch at Merrion Square on Tuesday was Charlie McConalogue, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, who said:
“The UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 aims to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels by 2030. This ambition is reflected in Ireland’s Food Waste Prevention Roadmap and in Food Vision 2030, the 10 year strategy for the agri food sector, which include actions to prevent and reduce food waste. This initiative by Too Good To Go aims to help consumers to differentiate between “use by” and “best before dates” on food products in their homes because, in some cases, some food that has passed its “best before date” may not need to be wasted but may still be good to eat” We can all help to achieve the 2030 target by identifying what food we waste in our households, why we waste food and examining ways to reduce our food waste. Taking the time to evaluate food with the “best before dates” is one way to manage and prevent food waste.”
New research* conducted by Too Good To Go reveals that some Irish consumers are confused about the meaning of food labels. The survey found that 14% of Irish adults surveyed mistakenly believe that a Best Before label indicates that the food is unsafe to consume after the specified date, while just under a third surveyed (27%) worry that eating food waste on its Best Before date will make them sick.
This misconception is leading to unnecessary food disposal, with 38% of Irish adults surveyed admitting to throwing away food that had gone past its ‘Best Before’ date.
Research also revealed that a staggering 25% of Irish households waste over €10 worth of food each week due to misunderstandings about Best Before dates. This contributes to a significant amount of unnecessary food waste in the country. To combat this issue, Too Good To Go encourages consumers to adopt simple food waste reduction strategies, such as freezing surplus food and creating detailed shopping lists to avoid impulse purchases.
Ireland now joins the list of other 13 countries from around the world in which the Look-Smell-Taste campaign is live with over 530 partnering brands.
16 brands in Ireland have already signed on to the campaign, pledging to switch products from Use By to Best Before labels where appropriate, in accordance with shelf life studies undertaken to support the change in date labelling and FSAI Guidance** and provide clear on-pack reminders to consumers.
Amongst the brands already signed up to part in the Look-Smell-Taste campaign are some of Ireland’s biggest brands including The Plant-It Food Co., Bel Group (The Laughing Cow), Ballymaloe Foods, Kellogg’s and Guinness Food Products. Musgrave (SuperValu) is also the first supermarket partner to trial the initiative in Ireland.
Best Before product lines from these brands will now include a new label on product packaging, created by Too Good To Go, to remind consumers to trust their senses - and ‘
Look-Smell-Taste, Don’t Waste’ - before throwing away food past its Best Before date.
Too Good To Go is calling on other brands to join the initiative.Speaking about the campaign, Sophie Trueman, Managing Director for Ireland and UK at Too Good To Go said:
“The partnership between Too Good To Go and these iconic Irish brands is a hugely positive step towards combating food waste and reducing the environmental impact of food consumption across Ireland. The support and backing of these businesses play an important role in raising awareness about the issue of food waste to consumers, but also addresses the confusion surrounding food labels.
The Look-Smell-Taste campaign is another vital step in Too Good To Go’s mission to expand our sustainability efforts within the Irish market and we encourage other food businesses and brands to join the initiative to reduce food waste and create a more sustainable future for all.”
Dr Lisa Koep, Chief ESG Officer with Tirlán, which produces a range of award-winning consumer brands, including Wexford Cheese, said:
"We are delighted to be taking part in Too Good to Go's 'Look-Smell-Taste' Initiative and will proudly feature the logo on the packaging of our award-winning Wexford Cheese brand in the coming months. This campaign builds on the existing work across our business to minimise food waste, and importantly supports consumers to understand that many food products can be consumed beyond their best before date.”
Sian Deegan, Head of Guinness in Society commented:
“Guinness is delighted to support Too Good To Go’s ‘Look- Smell-Taste’ initiative, which aligns perfectly with our commitment to quality and our journey towards a low-carbon future across all operations.
Exceptional food products like the Guinness Scullery Range deserve to be savoured. By encouraging consumers to trust their senses, we help everyone appreciate the craftsmanship and care that goes into their creation.”
Aoife McDermott, ESG Advisor at Kellogg’s, commented:
“At Kellogg’s, we’re proud to have the ‘Look-Smell-Taste’ label from Too Good To Go on our cereal packs in Ireland and it’s amazing to see so many other food brands join Too Good To Go’s fight against food waste.
Through the ‘Look-Smell-Taste’ label, we love the idea that our consumers are encouraged to use their senses to check if their food is safe to eat as there are often misconceptions around ‘best before’ dates.”
Lorene Decam, Senior Marketing Manager Terry’s Chocolate UK and Ireland added:
“With Too Good To Go, Terry's Chocolate is committed to fighting food waste and encouraging each of our consumers to join us in this effort and to trust our senses when it comes to Best Before dated food. Well done to Too Good To Go for this great initiative!”
Jessica Prendergast, Global Head of Marketing for The Plant-It Food Co. commented:
“We are delighted to partner with Too Good To Go on the Look-Smell-Taste initiative. By using our senses we can massively reduce the amount of good, safe food wasted at household level and total food waste globally. We’re proud to support our consumers to lead healthier, more sustainable lifestyles and by including the label on our pack, we can share a gentle reminder to Look-Smell-Taste before you waste.”
Josh McMullan, Assistant Brand Manager - Bel (The Laughing Cow UK & Ireland) added:
"At Bel, we are committed to sustainability and reducing our environmental impact, which is why partnering with Too Good To Go was a perfect fit. The Look-Smell-Taste initiative encourages consumers to trust their senses to assess whether food is still okay to eat, reducing unnecessary waste. This partnership aligns with our core values of promoting sustainable practices, reducing food waste, and making a positive impact on both people and the planet."
Also commenting on the launch, Rosaleen Hyde, Head of Operations at Ballymaloe Foods said:
“At Ballymaloe Foods we believe we all have a part to play in reducing food waste and living more sustainably. As a food producer, we take great care to ensure the food we make has a long shelf life due to the naturally low PH levels in the recipes we cook and also the ‘hot filling’ process we employ at the packaging stage.We are delighted to be part of the ‘Look- Smell-Taste’ campaign and hope this will help our customers to live more sustainably too.”
What is the difference between Best Before date and Use By date?
- The Use By date is for food safety. Food should not be eaten after the Use By date.
- The Best Before date is about optimal food quality. In many cases, food can still safely be consumed after the Best Before date, if stored correctly.
Remember to trust your senses: if a Best Before-labelled food has been stored correctly, and looks, smells, and tastes okay, then it may be perfectly safe to consume.
Too Good To Go is committed to helping consumers make informed decisions about their food and reduce food waste. By partnering with Irish brands and raising awareness about food labels, the company hopes to make a significant impact on the issue.
For more information about Too Good To Go, visit https://next.toogoodtogo.com/en-ie
Download the Too Good To Go app today and join the fight against food waste.
