Nisa is set to remove best before dates from the majority of Co-op fresh lines, in an effort to cut down on food waste.

In a message sent to stores, and seen by Better Retailing, the symbol group confirmed that from 20 February it would be replacing its best before dates with a date code. This will be set at the same life as the current best before and will consist of a letter (month) followed by a number (date), for example, C17 represents 17 March.

This will be applied to all fresh products, except strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, some seasonal ripe and ready to eat lines, and any line with a “use by” date.

The move is expected to help reduce date code-driven food waste in the home, instead encouraging shoppers to use their judgement and assess product quality when determining when to use or waste a product.

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“Retailers should, however continue to maintain good stock rotation and be vigilant in ensuring produce lines continue to meet or exceed the shopper expectation as the latest research suggests the three main drivers to purchasing fresh product were, freshness, quality and price,” the message read.

Stores will also be provided with point-of-sale kits to display in stores to communicate the concept to customers.

Nisa went on to reveal that it will be reviewing its Heritage range next.  

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