Supermarket chain dumps 'best before' labels

A British supermarket giant has taken the radical step of axing its "best before" labels, and Australia could soon follow suit.

Tesco in the UK made the move in a bid to halt food wastage, with concerns people were throwing out still-edible food a day after the "best before" date had passed.

Woolworths has indicated it too is open to reviewing its food label policies in Australia.

It is understood that Aussies throw out 20 million tonnes of food a year.

TODAY Show nutritionist Dr Joanna McMillan said it was important to know the difference between a "use by" and a "best before" date.

A "use by" date is a safety measure, with food consumed after the set date potentially unsafe.

However, a "best before" date is supposed to be a guide, and it is legal to sell food after that date has passed.

"There's a huge concern over people throwing out food that is a day past 'best before'," Dr McMillan said.

She said food storage was also a contributor to wastage, and urged people to research the best ways to store their food.

"If you keep your flour in the freezer, for example, you'll get a much longer shelf life," she said.