iStockWaitrose will remove best before dates on almost 500 products from next month.
Dates will be removed on fresh items including root vegetables, fruits such as grapes, citrus, apples, and indoor plants.
The move is aimed at reducing the volume of food waste in UK households.
Waitrose suggested that the change will allow customers to “use their own judgement”.
It follows similar measures announced by Tesco in 2018 and Marks and Spencer last month.
Marija Rompani, director of sustainability and ethics at John Lewis Partnership, which owns Waitrose, claimed that the removal of the dates could increase the chances of items being eaten.
“UK households throw away 4.5 million tonnes of edible food every year, meaning that all the energy and resources used in food production is wasted,” said Ms Rompani.
“By removing best before dates from our products, we want our customers to use their own judgment to decide whether a product is good to eat or not, which in turn will increase its chances of being eaten and not becoming waste.
“By using up existing fresh food in our homes, we can also save on our weekly household food shop, which is becoming an increasingly pressing concern for many.”
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