Confusion over food date labels is sending millions of dollars’ worth of perfectly good food to the bin every year in New Zealand, new research by Love Food Hate Waste NZ reveals.

The Understanding Food Labels study, recently conducted by Love Food Hate Waste NZ and Perceptive, reveals that over a third (37%) of New Zealanders misinterpret at least one of the two main date labels (Best Before or Use By), resulting in safe food being thrown away unnecessarily.

With New Zealand households wasting an estimated $3 billion worth of food each year – much of it still edible – the cost to families is hundreds of dollars annually, alongside a significant environmental impact.

Key findings include:

• 1 in 12 (8%) incorrectly believe food should not be eaten after its Best Before date.
• 1 in 3 (30%) think Use By is just a quality guide, rather than a safety deadline.
• 1 in 8 (12%) discard food past its Best Before date without even looking, smelling, or tasting it

While 80% of New Zealanders say they use some form of sensory checks (look, smell, taste) to judge food at home – almost as common as checking labels (83%) – confidence is uneven.

• Nearly half (45%) of all New Zealanders are not confident in using sensory checks to judge food at home.
• Confidence is lowest among young people —only 43% of 18–34-year-olds feel confident trusting their senses, compared with 64% of those over 55
• Nearly one in five (18%) 18–34 year-olds say throwing food away without checking is just a habit. The top barrier is concern about food safety (37%).

“These findings show a clear gap between people's understanding of date labels and how they actually behave,” says Sophie Wolland, Programme Manager at Love Food Hate Waste NZ. “Best Before dates are meant to guide us — not trick us into binning perfectly good food. By helping people feel confident with simple sensory checks, we can save families money and reduce waste, while keeping everyone safe.”

To tackle the confusion, Love Food Hate Waste NZ is launching the Great Date Debate Campaign — designed to help households decode labels, trust their senses, and save good food.

The campaign will provide:

• Fun, interactive quiz: To test your knowledge of Use By & Best Before dates – and the chance to win one of 15 $100 grocery vouchers!
• Recipe Inspiration: Ideas for meals using food approaching or even past its Best Before date.
• Practical tips & resources: Simple, memorable guidance on the difference between date labels and how to assess food past its best before

“Our research shows many Kiwis want clear, practical guidance on what to do when food is past it’s Best Before date. By showing people how to use their senses and building confidence in this everyday superpower, we can cut food waste, keep households safe, and put money back in people’s pockets,” says Wolland.

The research also shows that New Zealanders place the most trust in health authorities (54%) and scientists (51%) when it comes to food safety. LFHWNZ have worked alongside these experts to ensure campaign messages are safe, evidence-based, and effective.

Three steps to cut waste from label confusion

1. Learn the difference – Use By = safety deadline, Best Before = quality guide.
2. Trust your senses – Check it, Smell it, and Taste it before binning food past its Best Before.
3. Use LFHWNZ tools – from the Great Date Debate quiz and posters to clever food-saving recipes.

Learn more: www.lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz/great-date-debate/

About Love Food Hate Waste NZ
Love Food Hate Waste NZ is a national programme dedicated to helping Kiwis reduce food waste at home. Through practical tips, recipes, and campaigns, we empower households to save money, reduce waste, and care for the planet – one meal at a time.

NOTES

Research Source: Understanding Food Labels – Research Report, July 2025

• 8% incorrectly believe food should never be eaten after Best Before
• 30% incorrectly believe Use By is just a quality guide
• 12% discard Best Before food without checking
• Show strong confidence in sensory checks: 55% (All) 43% (18–34), 64% (55+)
• 38% cite food safety concerns as top barrier to using sensory checks
• Most trusted sources on food safety, health authorities (54%) and scientists (51%)

National Food Waste Figure: $3 B annual household food waste – sourced from the 2025 Rabobank & KiwiHarvest Food Waste Survey.

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