abbr. SJ GMU
ISSN 2657-5841 (printed)
ISSN 2657-6988 (online)
DOI: 10.26408
Consumer Understanding of the ‘Best Before’ and ‘Use by’ Dates
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7388-08521
Poznań University of Economics and Business, 61-875 Poznań, al. Niepodległości 10, Poland, Department of Food Quality and Safety, Institute of Quality Science, e-mail: urszula.samotyja@ue.poznan.pl
Abstract:
The aim of the study was to evaluate the consumers’ knowledge of the concept of ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ dates, and to assess how it translates into safe and sustainable food-handling behavior in relation to a specific food and a given date type. The face-to-face interview method (N = 1145) was applied with the use of the interview questionnaire. The results showed that groups of 61.1% and 79.0% of Polish consumers who selected the correct meaning of the date had problems with food handling when they were asked about a specific food product. Consumer behavior in this regard depended on the type of product, not on the date type.
Keywords:
use by, best before, date labelling, consumer awareness, food waste.
Issue:
Pages:
82
92
Doi:
Submitted:
18.02.2022
Accepted:
25.05.2022
Published:
30.06.2022
Download full text in pdf:
This article is an open access article distributed under a Creative Commoms Attribution (CCBY 4.0) licence
References:
An Activity Theory Perspective on Date and Storage Label Design through a Literature Review and Co-Creation Sessions, Sustainability, vol. 12, no. 3.
Dobernig, K., Schanes, K., 2019, Domestic Spaces and Beyond: Consumer Food Waste in the Context of Shopping and Storing Routines, International Journal of Consumer Studies, vol. 43, no. 5, pp. 480–489.
EFSA, 2020, Scientific Opinion, Guidance on Date Marking and Related Food Information: Part 1 (Date Marking).
European Commission, 2015, Flash Eurobarometer 425: Food Waste and Date Marking.
European Commission, 2018, Market Study on Date Marking and Other Information Provided on Food Labels and Food Waste Prevention, Final Report.
European Commission, 2019, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. The European Green Deal.
Falasconi, L., Cicatiello, C., Franco, S., Segrè, A., Setti, M., Vittuari, M., 2019, Such a Shame! A Study on Self-Perception of Household Food Waste, Sustainability, vol. 11.
Gialitakis, G., Chryssochoidis, G., 2006, Schoolchildren’s Understanding of Food Labels, Young Consumers, vol. 7, pp. 19–25.
Ipsos MORI, 2021, Qualitative Research into the Consumption of Food with Expired ‘Use By’ Dates, https://www.food.gov.uk/research/research-projects/qualitative-research-... (12.02.2022).
Kavanaugh, M., Quinlan, J.J., 2020, Consumer Knowledge and Behaviors Regarding Food Date Labels and Food Waste, Food Control, vol. 115.
Leib, E.B., Rice, Ch., Neff, R., Spiker, M., Schklair, A., Greenberg, S., 2016, Consumer Perceptions of Date Labels: National Survey, https://www.comunicarseweb.com/sites/default/files/consumer-perceptions-on-date-labels_may-2016.pdf (14.02.2022).
Lyndhurst, 2011, Final Report: Consumer Insight: Date Labels and Storage Guidance, www.wrap.org.uk/ (24.01.2022).
Milne, R., 2013, Arbiters of Waste: Date Labels, the Consumer and Knowing Good, Safe Food, The Sociological Review, vol. 60(S2), pp. 84–101.
Moreira, M.J., Garcia-Díez, J., de Almeida, J.M.M.M., Saraiva, C., 2019, Evaluation of Food Labelling Usefulness for Consumers, International Journal of Consumer Studies, vol. 43, pp. 327–334.
Newsome, R., Balestrini, C.G., Baum, M.D., Corby, J., Fisher, W., Goodburn, K., Labuza, P.T., Prince, G., Thesmar, H.S., Yiannas, F., 2014, Applications and Perceptions of Date Labelling of Food, Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, vol. 13, pp. 745–769.
Patra, D., Leisnham, P.T., Tanui, C.K., Pradhan, A.K., 2020, Evaluation of Global Research Trends in the Area of Food Waste due to Date Labelling Using a Scientometrics Approach, Food Control, vol. 115.
Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 of The European Parliament and of The Council of 25 October 2011 on the Provision of Food Information to Consumers, Amending Regulations (EC) No. 1924/2006 and (EC) No. 1925/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and Repealing Commission Directive 87/250/EEC, Council Directive 90/496/EEC, Commission Directive 1999/10/EC, Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Commission Directives 2002/67/EC and 2008/5/EC and Commission Regulation (EC) No. 608/2004, OJ L 304, 22.11.2011, pp. 18−63.
Samotyja, U., Sielicka‐Różyńska, M., 2021, How Date Type, Freshness Labelling and Food Category Influence Consumer Rejection, International Journal of Consumer Studies, vol. 45, pp. 441−455.
Shamim, K., Ahmad, S., Alam, M.A., 2021, Consumer Understanding of Food Date Labels: Preventing Food Wastage, British Food Journal, vol. ahead-of-print, no. ahead-of-print.
Song, M., Zhao, Y., Li, X., Meng, L., 2021, The Influence Exerted by Time Frames on Consumers’ Willingness to Buy Nearly Expired Food, Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 12.
Szymkowiak, A., Guzik, P., Kulawik, P., Zając, M., 2020, Attitude-Behaviour Dissonance Regarding the Importance of Food Preservation for Customers, Food Quality and Preference, vol. 84.
Śmiechowska, M., Kłobukowski, F., 2017, Bezpieczeństwo informacyjne – nowe kryterium jakości żywności w komunikacji rynkowej z konsumentem, Handel Wewnętrzny, vol. 366, pp. 329–339.
Thompson, B., Toma, L., Barnes, A.P., Revoredo-Giha, C., 2018, The Effect of Date Labels on Willingness to Consume Dairy Products: Implications for Food Waste Reduction, Waste Management, vol. 78, pp. 124–134.
Toma, L., Costa Font, M., Thompson, B., 2020, Impact of Consumers’ Understanding of Date Labelling on Food Waste Behaviour, Operational Research, vol. 20, pp. 543−560.
Trząskowska, M., Łepecka, A., Neffe-Skocińska, K., Marciniak-Lukasiak, K., Zielińska, D., Szydłowska, A., Bilska, B., Tomaszewska, M., Kołożyn-Krajewska, D., 2020, Changes in Selected Food Quality Components after Exceeding the Date of Minimum Durability –Contribution to Food Waste Reduction, Sustainability, vol. 12.
United Nations, 2015, Resolution Adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015, 526 A/RES/70/1, Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, 527, United Nations, https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/70/1 (16.02.2020).
Van Boxstael, S., Devlieghere, F., Berkvens, D., Vermeulen, A., Uyttendaele, M., 2014, Understanding and Attitude Regarding the Shelf Life Labels and Dates on Pre-packed Food Products by Belgian Consumers, Food Control, vol. 37, pp. 85–92.
Van Geffen, L., Van Herpen, E., Sijtsema, S., Van Trijp, H., 2020, Food Waste as the Consequence of Competing Motivations, Lack of Opportunities and Insufficient Abilities, Resources, Conservation & Recycling: X, vol 5.
Visschers, V.H.M., Wickli, N., Siegrist, M., 2016, Sorting Out Food Waste Behaviour: A Survey on the Motivators and Barriers of Self-Reported Amounts of Food Waste in Households, Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 45, pp. 66–78.
Wilson, N.L.W., Miao, R., Weis, C., 2018, Seeing Is Not Believing: Perceptions of Date Labels over Food and Attributes, Journal of Food Products Marketing, vol. 24, no. 5, pp. 611–631.
Wilson, N.L.W., Rickard, B.J., Saputo, R., Ho, S.T., 2017, Food Waste: The Role of Date Labels, Package Size, and Product Category, Food Quality and Preference, vol. 55, pp. 35–44.