Cost of living: the best-before food websites giving households a lifeline

theguardian.com:

Struggling UK households are turning to online discount stores to buy almost-out-of-date food as the cost of living crisis puts pressure on budgets.

Some of these shops, which sell big-brand food and drink products that are nearing or past their best-before dates at reduced prices, are experiencing a big increase in customer numbers.

Rising inflation is pushing up food prices: it was reported on Tuesday that annual supermarket bills will typically soar by £533, or more than £10 a week, as grocery price inflation hits its highest level since at least 2008.

So it is not surprising that more households are searching for ways to reduce their weekly food costs.

There are a growing number of retailers selling branded foods near their best-before dates at discounted prices, including Approved Food, Motatos, Company Shop and Low Price Foods.

However, a quick price test by Guardian Money this week indicated that while there are some bargains to be had, you will sometimes get cheaper prices on certain items at the main supermarkets, so you need to examine prices closely and shop around.

Best-before dates give guidance on when a product will be past its peak quality and are different from use-by dates, which indicate it could be unsafe to eat.

“The best-before date … is about quality and not safety. The food will be safe to eat after this date but may not be at its best. Its flavour and texture might not be as good,” Food Standards Agency guidance states.

Approved Food says it had more than 1,000 new customers in the first week of August this year – a tenfold increase compared with the same week in 2021.

Andy Needham, the managing director of Surplus Group, which owns the Approved Food website, says: “The cost of living crisis is definitely