New research has highlighted the need for retailers to adopt next-generation barcodes to prevent the sale of out-of-date food to consumers and reduce waste.
In a survey commissioned by GS1 UK, over half of UK adults (51%) said they’ve unknowingly bought out-of-date food from supermarkets, with £11.8bn worth of groceries being thrown away each year.
With retailers facing heavy fines for selling out-of-date food and growing pressure on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting, the barcode standards organisation believes retailers and consumers need “smarter” solutions, which QR codes offer.
The research found that the average adult in the UK throws away groceries worth £17.90 a month – the equivalent of £214.27 every year. Almost half (49%) said food goes off before they can use it, a third forget what’s in their fridge, and one in five misjudge portion sizes.
Three-quarters of adults stated they believe clearer labelling would help reduce waste, and 71% said supermarkets must do more to tackle the issue.
Consumers also want retailers to act more responsibly with unsold stock – 72% want food nearing its use-by date donated to charities, and 69% support discounting near-expiry items. A third of UK adults want better inventory and demand forecasting.
Tesco and other major retailers worldwide are already exploring next-generation barcodes to help prevent out-of-date items from being sold and reduce household waste.
Colin Peacock, group strategic coordinator at ECR Retail Loss, commented: “Exploring how QR codes with embedded date information can be scanned at the retailer’s point of sale – and block the sale of out-of-date products – has been a focus of our research for the last five years. Retailers such as Woolworths and Mercadona have regularly shared updates on their scaled deployments.
“We are excited about the potential of QR codes not only to prevent expired products from being sold, but also to improve replenishment and productivity while streamlining product recalls.”
The smart QR codes, powered by GS1 standards, hold more information than traditional barcodes and can connect every product to live data on expiry dates, storage tips, sourcing and more – improving food safety and helping shoppers make informed choices.
Anne Godfrey, Chief Executive of GS1 UK, which is leading the UK’s transition to smart QR codes, said: “These findings highlight the need for clearer guidance and more solutions to tackle food waste. Recent supermarket fines prove just how important accurate stock management and clear labelling are.
“UK retailers must address the food waste challenge head-on and adopt smarter solutions that empower consumers to waste less and make better-informed choices.”
The GS1 UK study also revealed 66% of people admit to binning food because they weren’t sure if it was safe to eat. Among 18 to 24-year-olds, 83% admitted to throwing away produce they were unsure about – totalling £309 in discarded food each year. Those aged 25 to 34 waste even more, averaging £409 annually – nearly double the national average.
More than a quarter (28%) feel guilty about the produce they throw away, and 43% feel it’s a waste of money.
Nearly half (47%) said they would happily use scannable codes to track expiry dates and receive app alerts when products in their fridge were approaching their use-by date. 42% would have greater trust in a product’s freshness if they could scan a QR code that provided this information.
Meanwhile, over a third (35%) stated that they would support a legal requirement for all food products to include these codes linking to up-to-date, storage and expiry advice.
QR use is already becoming mainstream with younger shoppers: one in three adults has scanned a QR code on food packaging, rising to two-thirds of 25–34-year-olds.
Godfrey concluded: “Scanning smart QR codes can help retailers track expiry dates, rotate stock and discount items nearing their best-before date – stopping out-of-date items being sold to consumers at the point of sale and reducing household waste.
“QR codes powered by GS1 can empower both retailers and households to make smarter choices.
“They have the potential to provide clear storage tips, recipes for leftovers and alerts when items are nearing their use-by date.”
GS1 UK is currently working with industry to support the UK’s transition to QR codes, in line with the global ambition that by the end of 2027, the majority of point-of-sale systems will be able to scan these codes alongside existing barcodes.
