Since the launch last year of the 'Use your senses' initiative, aimed at reducing food waste, over 10 million products sold in around 100 Belgian stores have been stamped with the 'Look, Smell, Taste' pictogramme to encourage consumers not to throw away food too quickly, the project's initiator said on Tuesday.
The Too Good To Go company launched the pictogramme in September 2021, alongside a free mobile application for saving unsold food, to encourage consumers to trust their senses rather than the date of minimum durability indicated on products.
"Often misunderstood, expiry dates are responsible for 20% of food waste," the social impact company said in a statement. "Before the launch of the initiative, three out of four Belgians were unaware of the difference between the two dates: 'best before' and 'use by'.
A year after its launch, the 'Look, Smell, Taste' pictogramme is supported by 35 food-chain partners and has been seen by one in five Belgians, according to Too Good To Go.
"We are extremely proud of the first concrete results of the initiative," said Too Good To Go's country manager for Belgium, Franco Prontera.
The long-term objective of the initiative, launched simultaneously in 12 countries of the European Union, is to revise European legislation on the way consumption dates are indicated on packaging.
This revision is expected by 2023.
