Traders in Romania want to eliminate the expiration date from food products, replacing it with sales and consumption dates to reduce food waste.

Merchants in the food industry in Romania propose changing the product labeling system, suggesting the elimination of the expiration date and replacing it with two distinct dates: the date until which the product can be sold and the date until which it can be consumed. Feliciu Paraschiv, vice president of the National Association of Small and Medium Merchants, emphasized that the current system limits discount sales and the donation of safe food for consumption, thus contributing to food waste.

He explained that currently, customers are reluctant to buy products close to the expiration date, which hinders their sale and donation. The proposal to have clear dates for sale and consumption could encourage customers to buy more products on promotion, thus reducing food waste. Paraschiv mentioned that the issue of food waste is acute in Europe and has worsened in Romania as well.