Standardize Food Date Labels in India to Reduce Food Waste, Protect Consumers and Build a Sustainable Future

Petition to the Government of India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs

Every day, thousands of tonnes of perfectly edible food are thrown away across India. One major reason is that consumers misunderstand food date labels.

Many people believe that a "Best Before" or "Sell By" date means food has become unsafe to eat. In reality, these labels often indicate the period during which a product is at its best quality—not necessarily when it becomes unsafe for consumption. This misunderstanding causes households, retailers and businesses to discard perfectly edible food.

The result is enormous food waste, unnecessary financial losses and avoidable environmental damage.

The Scale of the Problem
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Food Waste Index Report 2024, India wastes approximately 78 million tonnes of food every year, making it one of the world's largest contributors to food waste.

The report also estimates that:

The average Indian wastes around 55 kg of food every year.
The economic value of food wasted in India is estimated to exceed ₹1.5 lakh crore annually.
At the same time, millions of Indians continue to face hunger and undernutrition.

When food is wasted, we also waste:

• Millions of liters of water used to grow crops.
• Electricity used for processing and refrigeration.
• Fuel used for transportation.
• Farmers' hard work and income.
• Packaging materials and logistics costs.
• Valuable landfill space, where discarded food generates methane—a greenhouse gas significantly more powerful than carbon dioxide. 

Food waste is not just an environmental issue. It is an economic, social and moral challenge.

The World Is Taking Action
The need for clearer food date labels is gaining global recognition. In 2026, the U.S. state of California passed legislation to standardize food date labels by replacing confusing terminology with simple consumer-friendly labels such as:

• "Best if Used By" – indicates food quality.
• "Use By" – indicates food safety.

The objective is simple: reduce unnecessary food waste while maintaining the highest standards of food safety.

California recognized that confusing labels lead consumers to throw away perfectly edible food. By making labels easier to understand, the state aims to reduce food waste, save consumers money and protect the environment.

If California can successfully implement such reforms, India—one of the world's largest food producers and consumers—should explore adopting a similar evidence-based approach suited to our own food ecosystem.

1. We Request the Government of India To:
   Standardize food date labels across India using simple and consumer-friendly terminology.
2. Clearly distinguish between:

• "Best if Used By" – Product quality.
• "Use By" – Food safety.

       3. Review and gradually phase out confusing or inconsistent food date terminology wherever appropriate.

      4. Launch a nationwide public awareness campaign explaining the difference between quality dates and safety dates.

      5. Encourage supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, bakeries and food manufacturers to discount or donate safe surplus food instead of discarding it.

     6. Develop policies and incentives that promote food redistribution and encourage innovation to reduce food waste across India.

Why This Matters
Reducing food waste means:

• More food available for people in need.
• Lower household expenses.
• Higher recovery of value for businesses.
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
• Better use of India's precious natural resources.
• Greater support for farmers and the entire food supply chain.

This petition is not about lowering food safety standards.

It is about making food labels easier to understand so consumers can make informed decisions without wasting perfectly safe food.

A simple change in food labeling has the potential to save millions of tonnes of food, conserve valuable natural resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen India's commitment to sustainability.

India has the opportunity to become a global leader in responsible food consumption and food waste reduction.

If you believe India should adopt clearer food date labels and stronger food waste reduction policies, please sign this petition and share it with your family, friends and colleagues. Every signature brings us one step closer to meaningful change.

References:
1. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Food Waste Index Report 2024.

2. California's 2026 food date-label standardization legislation, introduced to reduce food waste by replacing confusing date labels with clearer consumer-friendly terminology.