More than 30 per cent of food is lost or wasted each year, and food waste is becoming a growing issue for many reasons. First of all, it makes absolutely no sense given the large number of hungry people in the world. But it is also bad for the climate and for society. Because when you waste food that could have been eaten, you are also wasting the natural and human resources that were used to grow, produce, process and transport that food. Not to mention the huge economic losses directly related to food waste. Therefore, several initiatives and actions have been introduced in order to reduce food waste in Europe.
New date labelling brings new life
The Danish dairy industry promotes and markets high-quality dairy products from Denmark, with focus on organic child nutrition, organic milk and white cheese. A range of initiatives and tools to prevent food waste have also been launched. A good example of this is how the date labelling on milk cartons and other fresh dairy products have changed from only stating ‘Best before’ to also adding ‘Often good after’. This encourages consumers to smell and taste the products before throwing them out, as for example milk and cheese often stay fresh much longer than the guaranteed date. Besides saving millions of milk cartons from the garbage can, the new labelling has also gotten widespread attention in the media on several markets. A great example of how small changes in product and packaging design can make a huge difference in finding ways to tackle the food waste problem.
Small changes that matter
The Danish dairy industry’s initiatives also include designing packaging, which is easy to fold and fully empty, as well as offering different package sizes so that consumers can match their purchase with their needs. The Danish dairy industry also focuses on how to maximise the freshness and shelf life of its products and offer tips and trick to encourage consumers to cut down on home waste, from weekly dinner plans to clever ways to use leftovers.
Every drop can make a difference
Studies show that the largest share of food loss and waste occurs at the consumer level. But production-wise, the Danish dairy industry continues to strive towards minimising food waste, and it works constantly to optimise production through intelligent technology and close collaboration with customers and suppliers. When its dairy products for various reasons cannot be sold via traditional sales channels, it directs as much as possible to food banks across Europe. So that in those occasions where food waste occurs at a processing level, its products still make a difference.
The Danish dairy industry has already made great progress, and it will continue working on finding new ways to reduce food waste and support those in need.
Learn more at https://www.dairyfromeurope.com
