Advancing Solutions: Standardized Date Labelling Working Group

Beginning in 2016, ReFED took the initiative to convene a multi-stakeholder Date Labelling Working Group of over 40 industry experts to agree on which products should receive the quality and the discard date labels. The Working Group developed the Date Labeling Standardization Tool  – a tool  intended to help food businesses determine whether food products should receive a quality or safety based label. In 2017, the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) announced voluntary guidance on a two-code labeling system – “Best if Used By” as a quality-based label, and “Use By” as a safety or discard-based label. This was followed later that year by a joint announcement between Champions 12.3 and the Consumer Goods Forum to apply a two-code system globally.