M&S has now removed best before dates from fresh produce packaging in a bid to tackle food waste, both in store and in UK households.
After research from sustainability charity WRAP has shown that an estimated 6.6 million tonnes of food is thrown away by UK households every year, the supermarket retailer has announced that best before dates will be removed from the labelling of over 300 fruit and vegetable products – which accounts for 85% of its fresh produce offering.
This will include on commonly-wasted items like apples, potatoes, broccoli, and so much more.
Best before dates will now be replaced with a new code, which M&S staff will use to “ensure freshness and quality is maintained”.
The retailer says the change to packaging – which is being rolled out across all M&S stores in the UK from this week – is designed to “encourage customers to throw away less edible food at home” and urges people to “use their judgement”.
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The removal of best before dates is part of M&S’s pledge to halve food waste by 2030 – with 100% of edible surplus to be redistributed by 2025.
Cutting best before dates is one of several other steps the retailer is taking to reduce food waste, including having partnered with charity Neighbourly back in 2015 and donating over 44 million meals, which store teams work closely with local communities to ensure edible food surplus is redistributed, and launching the ‘Sparking Change’ challenge nationwide, which encourages customers to reduce food waste recipes using leftovers, as well as expert tips on batch cooking and storing food to make it last longer.
M&S has now removed best before dates from fresh produce packaging in a bid to tackle food waste / Credit: M&S
“We’re determined to tackle food waste,” said Andrew Clappen, Director of Food Technology at M&S.
“Our teams and suppliers work hard to deliver fresh, delicious, responsibly sourced produce at great value and we need to do all we can to make sure none of it gets thrown away [but] to do that, we need to be innovative and ambitious.
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“Removing best before dates where safe to do so, trialling new ways to sell our products, and galvanising our customers to get creative with leftovers and embrace change.”
He insisted that the retailer is aiming for its target of halving food waste, and will keep searching for solutions while still maintaining “the standards and value our customers expect.”
The retailer says the change is designed to “encourage customers to throw away less edible food at home” / Credit: M&S
WRAP says it’s “thrilled” that M&S is taking steps to reduce food waste.
“Removing dates on fresh fruit and veg can save the equivalent of seven million shopping baskets of food being binned in our homes,” added Catherine David, Director of Collaboration and Change at WRAP.
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“We urge more supermarkets to get ahead on food waste by axing date labels from fresh produce, allowing people to use their own judgement.”
Featured Image – M&S
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Joey Barton officially sentenced over offensive online posts
Danny Jones
Retired footballer Joey Barton has officially been sentenced following a series of offensive posts on social media over the past year or so.
Six counts pertaining to three individuals, in particular, were highlighted when he appeared for his final hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, 8 December: online abuse directed at fellow ex-pros Eni Aluko, Lucy Ward and broadcaster Jeremy Vine.
Charged and now finally found guilty of ‘grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety’, Joey Barton has been given a six-month prison sentence – suspended for 18 months, however, meaning he won’t serve jail time unless he reoffends during this period.
Here he is queuing up outside the Crown Court earlier today:
BREAKING: Former footballer Joey Barton given six-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months over "grossly offensive" social media posts about Jeremy Vine, Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko. pic.twitter.com/dQuAAT1mQu
For context, the social media posts in question refer to the ones made on X (previously known as Twitter) and directed at the aforementioned public figures.
The former Manchester City player and Liverpool youth product, who is originally from Merseyside but is now based around Widnes in Cheshire, was found guilty on Friday despite insisting his innocence throughout.
Barton – now 43 and having become a vocal far-right commentator – compared Aluko and Ward to two of the most infamous convicted serial killers in British history, writing that they were “the Fred and Rose West of football commentary” back in January 2024.
He also labelled radio host and TV presenter, Vine, a “bike nonce” in a post that he later went on to dismiss as nothing more than “crude banter” and an attempt at “dark and stupid humour”, stating that he has no intention of actually suggesting he was a paedophile.
Elsewhere in the court appearance, Barton claimed that he is a victim of “political prosecution”; nevertheless, the judge found that the one-time England international (who also played for Newcastle, QPR, Burnley, Rangers and Marseille) “crossed the line between free speech and a crime.”
You can see the moment Judge Andrew Menary handed down the verdict, which will see him avoid time in custody once more, in full down below.
As per an official update via the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Senior Prosecutor Callum Bryce of CPS Mersey-Cheshire said: “Between early January and mid-March 2024, Barton subjected three public figures to offences of malicious communications.
“Barton said in his evidence before the court that in some of his messages he was trying to make a serious point in a provocative way and that in others he was simply joking.
“The finding of the jury confirmed that his conduct had gone beyond any joke and his messages were grossly offensive with the purpose of causing anxiety and distress to his victims.”
It’s also worth noting that he has been charged, found guilty and sentenced before already this year.
Greater Manchester claims I’m A Celeb title again as Salford YouTuber Angry Ginge crowned 2025 winner
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester has reigned supreme once again, as for the second year running, someone from our region has been crowned I’m A Celebrity champion.
And this year, the King of the Jungle is Salford YouTuber, Angry Ginge.
Millions of viewers from across the UK tuned in last night to see Morgan Burtwistle – who goes by the name Angry Ginge or just Ginge, based off his internet username – be crowned 2025’s winner of popular ITV reality competition, I’m A Celebrity..., and watched as last year’s champion, Bolton boyband member Danny Jones, handed over the crown to his fellow northerner.
After spending three gruelling weeks in the Australian camp, and creating plenty of memorable moments in the process, the 24-year-old social media star beat out TV personality Tom Read Wilson for the title.
Ginge became the winner of the show’s 25th series by also beating fellow contestants like ex-EastEnders star Shona McGarty, and fellow Mancunian, rapper Aitch.
The Salford lad was left speechless after hosts Ant and Dec called his name as the winner, and described it as an ‘amazing’ moment.
“Honestly, [it’s] a dream come true,” he added. “I didn’t think I’d go all this way, never mind win, so thank you to everyone who voted.”
As former McFly star Danny Jones came to hand over the crown to Ginge, he said: “There you go, all the way from Bolton to Manchester.”
For those who were unfamiliar with Ginge before his I’m A Celeb stardom, the 24-year-old had become known for his rants about football, especially about his team Manchester United – but in 2021, he exploded in popularity even further when he uploaded a skit video about struggling to get chips on a night out.
Since then, he has turned into one of the most popular streamers and internet personalities in the UK with 1.4 million followers.
And now, he can add King of the Jungle to those accolades.
Emily Sergeant -
25th July 2022 
