A study by consumer group Which? has revealed that Waitrose offers the shortest use-by dates on perishable food items included in online grocery orders. The analysis, which compared six major UK supermarkets that offer online delivery—Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, and Ocado—found that perishable goods from Waitrose typically had a remaining shelf life of 7.7 days.
Waitrose stated that the removal of preservatives from some products, in response to customer feedback, contributed to this finding. The supermarket also noted that its online pickers are trained to select the longest-dated items available and that recent customer surveys indicate a high satisfaction rate with product shelf life.
Tesco ranked second in the study for shortest use-by dates, with an average of 8.8 days for perishable items. The report highlighted instances where products had significantly less shelf life than advertised online. A Tesco spokesperson emphasized the company's efforts to select the freshest items and noted that customers can return items they are not satisfied with at the time of delivery or collection.
Sainsbury's was third from the bottom with an average of 10.2 days for remaining shelf life. Ocado and Morrisons tied with an average of 10.4 days. Ocado highlighted its "Fresh+" promise, which guarantees a minimum number of days of freshness on its products.
Asda was identified as the supermarket with the longest average use-by dates for perishable items, averaging 11 days from delivery. An Asda spokesperson commented that this finding reflects the company's commitment to providing fresh, quality produce.
The study involved 12 mystery shoppers across Britain who ordered the same list of 29 fresh groceries over two weeks. More than 2,000 perishable items were analyzed. The findings indicated variability in shelf life, with some items arriving with a use-by date on the day of delivery or the day after. The report also noted that receiving food with a short shelf life can lead to financial waste and food being discarded.
This analysis comes at a time when food prices are anticipated to rise, with food inflation expected to increase following a summer of extreme weather and greater reliance on imports.