BIG CHANGE COMING TO KEY DAIRY PRODUCTS AT LIDL TO HELP PREVENT FOOD WASTE

• Lidl GB is scrapping ‘Use By’ dates on all own brand milk and yoghurt
• Customers will spot the change on milk this month, while yoghurt will be implemented from early 2024
• The move forms part of the discounter’s plans to tackle food waste, as it encourages shoppers to use their judgement on whether products are still good to eat

8^th December – Lidl GB has announced major changes to labelling on its yoghurt and fresh milk^* ranges, in a move that will help customers reduce food waste at home.

Scrapping ‘Use By’ dates in favour of ‘Best Before’, the discounter has become the latest retailer to make the move across its key dairy lines, helping prevent entirely edible food being thrown away.

Lidl’s updated milk packaging has already started filtering into stores across England and Wales, while customers can expect to see the change on yoghurts from early 2024.

Milk and yoghurt that’s been stored correctly and doesn’t smell bad or appear lumpy is safe to enjoy. Lidl is therefore encouraging customers to use their judgment and be guided by ‘Best Before’ dates to help determine whether to consume.  

Richard Inglis, Head of Buying at Lidl GB, said: “At Lidl, we know that a lot of perfectly good milk and yoghurt is being thrown away because of ‘Use By’ dates. It therefore makes total sense to us to make the switch to ‘Best Before’ so that shoppers can use their own judgement on whether their milk or yoghurt is good to consume. We’ve got a long record of making positive change to reduce food waste, and this latest step builds on our commitment to helping households tackle food waste at home.”

The move announced today bolsters existing action taken by the discounter to tackle food waste, which also includes initiatives to tackle waste in stores such as Lidl’s Too Good to Waste boxes, which help reduce food waste by 17,000 tonnes each year by selling 5kg of surplus fruit and vegetables for only £1.50.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

^*Except for filtered milk

About Lidl GB

Since establishing itself in Great Britain in 1994, Lidl GB has experienced continuous growth and today has over 31,000 employees, over 960 stores and 14 distribution centres in England, Scotland and Wales.

As part of the Schwarz retail group, Lidl is one of Europe’s leading organisations in the food retail industry. The supermarket, which has around 376,000 employees globally, currently operates approximately 12,200 stores and more than 220 logistics centers and warehouses in 31 countries.

The supermarket takes pride in providing its customers with the highest quality products at the lowest possible prices throughout Great Britain, from Kirkwall to the Isle of Wight. Social responsibility and sustainability are at the core of the company's daily operations, with the company placing a strong emphasis on its responsibility for people, society, and the environment. Lidl GB is passionate about working with British producers and sources two thirds of its products from British suppliers.

The Schwarz Group, which operates worldwide as a retail group, generated a turnover of €154.1 billion in the financial year 2022.

For more information about Lidl GB visit https://corporate.lidl.co.uk/