Love Food Hate Waste Canada Urges Canadians: Rethink Best Before Dates, Stop Wasting Food, Save Money

23% of avoidable food waste comes directly from Best Before Date confusion. New Campaign Helps Canadians Save $1,300 a Year by Wasting Less Food

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, September 29, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- To mark the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on September 29, Love Food Hate Waste Canada (LFHW Canada) is launching a new national campaign, Spend More Time with Your Food. The initiative encourages Canadians to rethink how they use, store, and assess food at home, with a particular focus on clearing up confusion around “best before” dates.

Research shows that 23% of avoidable food waste comes directly from confusion around date labels, with many Canadians throwing out food that is still perfectly safe to eat. Household food waste is a major issue in Canada, costing the average family $1,300 per year in discarded groceries. This waste not only costs Canadians but also contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating climate change.

“Best before” dates are often mistaken for expiry dates, however best before dates are indicators of peak quality rather than safety. Products are frequently safe to consume well after the best before date has passed as long as they are stored correctly and the packaging is intact, yet nearly all shelf-stable foods carry the label, contributing to misunderstanding and waste.

“Food is one of our most valuable resources, but too often confusion has us discarding food that could have been consumed,” says Megan Czerpak, Manager of LFHW Canada. “When Canadians learn how to properly understand date labels and make small changes at home, like storing food better or repurposing unused ingredients, they not only save money but also take meaningful action for the planet.”

The Spend More Time With Your Food campaign provides free resources to help Canadians waste less and save more.
Highlights include the Make the Most of Your Food Challenge, a free four-week program beginning October 18 that delivers practical strategies straight to participants’ inboxes. Everyone who completes the challenge is entered to win one of four $500 grocery gift cards, and the first 50 finishers will also receive a “Fridge Friend” to help extend food life. Canadians can also take part in a free webinar series, starting October 2, that demystifies best before dates, explains how to judge food quality using your senses, and shares creative ways to use up ingredients before they spoil.

“By giving food more time, whether that means sniffing, tasting, storing properly, or finding new uses for what’s nearing end of its life, Canadians can stretch their groceries further, cut waste, and reduce the environmental impact of what they eat,” adds Czerpak.

For more information on the campaign, to register for the challenge, or to sign up for a free webinar, visit https://lovefoodhatewaste.ca/spend-more-time-with-your-food/.


About Love Food Hate Waste Canada
Love Food Hate Waste (LFHW) Canada is a national campaign dedicated to helping Canadians reduce food waste in their homes through simple, practical everyday actions. LFHW Canada is delivered by FoodMesh, a Vancouver-based social enterprise that helps organizations across the food industry reduce waste, cut costs, and feed more people by redistributing surplus food.

Andrea Bava
Love Food Hate Waste Canada
+1 778-908-1764
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