Surplus Food Redistribution Guidance

Date labels, and handling for food safety

This summary guidance produced by WRAP, the Food Standards Agency and Defra covers date labelling, handling and storage instruction requirements for surplus food, in order for it to be safely redistributed. The aim is to increase the amount of food made available by food businesses for redistribution and accepted by recipient organisations. 

Surplus food redistribution guidance

Covers date labelling, handling and storage instruction requirements for surplus food, in order for it to be safely redistributed, along with guidance for freezing and relabelling fresh food. It was originally published in 2017 and has been updated in November 2024. 

The guide includes information for six key food categories that typically carry a ‘Best Before’ date, to support the assessment and handling for redistribution: 

• ambient products
• bread and bakery 
• uncut fresh produce
• dairy products
• chilled products (non dairy); and 
• frozen foods.

It stresses the importance of product assessment including visual checks of food and packaging to ensure the food is of acceptable quality and safe to consume.

It outlines processes which food businesses and redistribution organisations can use to implement the guidance.

The information covers manufacturing, retail, hospitality and food service businesses, and all types of redistribution organisations. 

Decision tree

A decision tree is included to support short-term decision making for labelling-related requirements for safely and legally redistributing surplus food, including when freezing food. This has been added (November 2024) in line with the updated guidance.

Food law

The guidance or activities around the redistribution of surplus food does not change or replace the normal legal requirements that apply to the provision of food. A food business, which could be any undertaking, whether for profit or not and whether public or private, carrying out any activities related to any stage of food production, processing or distribution, is subject to food law - including safety and hygiene; as well as record-keeping and traceability.  

Local authority Trading Standards Departments and Environmental Health Departments are responsible for advising on and enforcing food law. It is recommended that in the first instance Food Business Operators direct any questions around laws relating to the provision or handling of food that they may have, to their local authority enforcement team.