In Hong Kong, more than 155 million items of food that have passed its Best-Before Date but are still edible are thrown away every year. Best before is an estimate of how long a product will remain at its best quality. There are no health concerns if purchased and consumed beyond this date. For more information, visit our "Little-Greener - Stop Wasting" page.
We launch "Healthy Express" 🅿️ Points Redemption
We select products of good quality that are close to their best before date and provide discounted prices in the form of points redemption to encourage customers to purchase at a discount. We know food together and cherish food together.
The points accumulated by customers can be redeemed for health discounts and high-quality short-term products in this shopping area. Some products are new and we hope customers will try them out and reduce inventory. Some of my products are close to or beyond their shelf life.
Point conversion: 1 point accumulated for every HK$1 spent
Point expiration date: None
Points delivery date: 1st day after pickup
Understand food labels
To eat or not to eat? Best before dates can give you clues about freshness, flavor and texture. If stored properly, prepackaged foods are safe to eat after the specified date.
Product Label
Best before date, BBD
Use by date
Definition
Product is no longer at its optimal quality
Product is no longer safe for consumption
Example
Snacks, sauce, dried and tinned food
Salads, fish and meat products
Health risk
No
Yes
Taste Difference
Depends on the period passed best before
Unsatisfactory
Illegal selling*
No
Yes
*According to the Hong Kong food safety "Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations" 132W
What experts say…
Friends of the Earth (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong Baptist University was commissioned by Friends of the Earth (HK) to test more than 80 unopened and intact foods with shelf lives ranging from several months to 7 years. The results showed that microbial levels in all samples were satisfactory or within acceptable levels, suggesting that a "best before" date may not mean a "dead end" for food! Link>>>
Center for Food Safety, Hong Kong SAR
"Best before" dates relate to food qualities such as taste, texture, aroma and appearance. If a food is stored properly, it can reasonably be expected to retain its specified characteristics up to and including the specified date. Link>>>
Dr. Leung Ka-sing - Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Products beyond their "best before date" should be disposed of. The nutritional content of products that pass the "best before" date may decrease, but this has nothing to do with food safety. Link>>>>TVB 《東張西望》 - March 23, 2017
Simon Rimmer - BBC Food Fighter presenter
Don't eat anything after the "use by" date, but you can safely eat foods after the "best before" date. I think we do waste too much food. Selling short-term food is a good and safe business. Link>>>
The company, founded in 2009, retails products online that are near or past their sell-by date. It is the UK's largest online retailer of short-term and surplus stock.
Denmark WeFood
Wefood, which sells expired food at 30% to 50% off regular prices, has become so popular in Copenhagen that it has opened a second branch in a trendy neighborhood called Nørrebro.
Germany SirPlus
SirPlus is a store and online platform that sells leftover, recycled food items that are sorted elsewhere because they are too small, too crooked, too old or just different.
