Three out of four Belgians say they look, smell and taste food before throwing it away, meaning they no longer rely primarily on the use-by date as they did in 2022, according to a study by Too Good To Go, which campaigns against food waste.
Confusion around expiry dates nevertheless remains high: nearly 40% do not know the difference between a "best before" date (date de durabilité minimale, DDM) and a "use by" date (date limite de consommation, DLC).
As a result, perfectly edible food is sometimes discarded unnecessarily, while in other cases, consumers take risks with food safety.
The survey of 1,000 Belgians, conducted online, was published on Monday as Belgium marked the start of Food Waste Awareness Week (22–28 September). It shows that older generations tend to trust their instincts, while younger people are more likely to stick to the labels. More than eight in ten people over the age of 55 rely on their senses, compared with just two-thirds of young Belgians. Women also tend to rely more on their senses than men.
"In the kitchen, our senses are our best allies," said Isabelle de Bidlot, spokesperson for Too Good To Go. "It is encouraging that more and more Belgians are trusting their senses, but younger generations in particular remain cautious. By paying closer attention to the labels while also trusting our own judgement, we can save a lot of food (and money) together."
Every year, Belgium wastes 1.8 million tonnes of food, 42.7% of which comes from households, according to figures from Eurostat, the EU's statistics office.
