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When did ‘best before’ dates begin?

6 August 2022

9:00 AM

6 August 2022

9:00 AM

An idea past its sell-by date

Waitrose has announced the removal of ‘best before’ dates from many food products.

– The idea of printing dates began with Marks & Spencer in the 1950s, but only for use in the stockroom. They first appeared in the company’s shops in 1970 and were named ‘sell-by’ dates from 1973, launched with an advertising campaign saying: ‘The sell-by date means that St Michael foods are fresh.’

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