3 Ways Retailers Can Cut Down on Grocery Spoilage and Avoid Expired Meat

12.09.2025

While the past few years have presented no shortage of new challenges for the food supply chain, one consistent challenge remains: reducing food waste. Before the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated 30-40% of the food supply goes to waste. Where food waste happens can vary, but restaurants, grocery stores, and food service companies contributed to 40% of food waste. That’s a significant amount of food—and an equally substantial amount of money lost.

We’ve seen food waste worsen for myriad reasons, from panic buying to supply chain disruptions. However, there may be a silver lining. Experts note that while past economic changes may have exacerbated the food waste problem, they have also made consumers more aware of waste.

“Seeing every day how much their household throws away and how quickly their garbage and recycling bins fill has made consumers more waste-conscious,” said Rick Stein, VP of fresh foods for FMI, in an article by Winsight Grocery Business.

As consumers and retailers continue through this post-pandemic era, we can expect more focus on food waste reduction and food spoilage prevention. Here are some ways you can prioritize this goal, get ahead of food waste regulations, and show consumers you share their values.

1. Commit to zero food waste in your grocery store (and set a target date).

Several major grocery chains have committed to ambitious waste reduction goals or zero food waste in their stores. Kroger, for example, established a “Zero Hunger | Zero Waste” vision in 2017 with the aim of eliminating food waste by 2025. Since then, their progress includes 518 million meals donated to their communities and 100% of their stores donating surplus fresh food to hunger relief agencies.

Walmart, Food Lion, and other retailers have also implemented food waste reduction efforts, such as spoilage forecasting and digital ordering tools. Internationally, some chains have adopted apps that alert consumers about discounted excess food so they can buy it before it goes to waste. All these efforts are effective, practical steps toward curbing the food waste problem.

Forming a zero food waste commitment at your store—and selecting an ideal date by which to achieve it—is the first step to creating significant, quantifiable reductions. After setting the goal and timeline, decide which efforts work best for your store, whether it’s offering sales on items about to expire or diverting excess products to food pantries rather than landfills. Stay up to date on apps and technologies that can simplify or automate these efforts.

2. Educate consumers on expiration dates and food spoilage prevention.

One of the main reasons for food waste at both retail and consumer stages is concern about food spoilage—and confusion about expiration dates. In retail, shoppers may be reluctant to purchase groceries that are too close to the expiration date. And the industry’s use of “sell by,” “use by,” and “best before” dates is characteristically vague, meaning consumers may assume the product is a food safety risk even if it’s not.

One survey by Johns Hopkins University indicated that 84% of respondents discarded food near the package date “at least occasionally,” and 37% “always” or “usually” discarded food near the package date. In another survey by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, 60% of respondents reported discussing what date labels meant at home, and 40% said they had disagreements in their homes about throwing products away.

The survey results led the Grocery Manufacturers Association to launch a campaign to reduce consumer confusion. However, there are still inconsistencies in product labeling, as well as a lack of resources on how consumers can extend the shelf life of their products.

“There’s an opportunity to expand consumer education on how to store to extend shelf life [of fresh products].”

–Jonna Parker, Principal, Fresh Center of Excellence, IRI [Via Supermarket News]

Providing consumer education about food spoilage prevention, how long meat is safe after expiration dates, and which products are consumable after a “best before” date can help your store in several ways. For one, it can encourage product purchase closer to the best before or expiration date. It also shows customers you value their health, wellness, and satisfaction with your products, something that will continue to be crucial. And it can potentially curb excess food waste in consumers’ homes.

Answering frequently asked questions about expiration dates and grocery spoilage in your store and online is a start. Provide clear, accurate, and consistent messaging around the following questions:

• How long does meat last in the fridge?
• How long does meat last in the freezer?
• How long after the sell-by date can meat still be safe?
• What is the expiration date of ground beef/steaks/fresh meat?

While this information varies by product, packaging, and brand, education about labeling and storage methods goes a long way in empowering consumers.

3. Emphasize quality.

Though consumers have opted for less expensive cuts in recent years, they’re still likely to trade up their protein purchases for special occasions (via Power of Meat 2025). Make sure you stock the premium beef they’re looking for in cuts that are sure to impress. Plus, when you only sell the best products, customers are more likely to treasure what they buy (and less likely to throw it out), reducing food waste in the long run.

Here’s how we make sure every cut exceeds your customers’ expectations and raises the profile of your meat case:

• Produced from only the best Black Angus beef cattle
• Harvested at optimum maturity for unparalleled tenderness
• Processed in only four facilities in the U.S. with strict standards and procedures
• Carcass weight and ribeye size specifications guarantee uniform finished products and portion sizes
• Offered in USDA Prime and Upper 2/3 Choice, ensuring ideal marbling for the most buttery, indulgent, juicy beef

Give your patrons Black Angus beef they’ll crave.

Offering Black Angus beef improves the consumer experience, providing your customers with a superior product they can use to create restaurant-worthy dishes at home. 1855 Black Angus Beef provides an exceptional option for enjoying dishes your customers know and love.