Pre-packaged foodstuffs, which are expired, but still safe for consumption, will remain on shelves in Slovenia's shops, according to the latest labelling rules announced here on Wednesday.
Retailers will be allowed to continue selling products with long shelf life after the expiry of the "best before" date, Agriculture Minister Dejan Zidan told reporters.
The adjustment of labeling regulations will be instrumental in the government's campaign to reduce the quantity of discarded food, he noted.
Slovenians on the average discard 80 kilograms of food annually, according to the minister.
Foodstuffs like pasta, flour, grits, coffee and oil remain safe to be used after the expiry of the "best before" date, said Vida Cadonic Spelic, chief of Slovenia's Food Safety Administration.
However, such products will be displayed in shops on separate shelves with the retailers' guarantee that they are still safe for consumption, Spelic added.
Food waste has been identified as an international problem, especially in the developed countries.
