Simple food mistake you're making that's costing Kiwis $3 billion a year

Author: Imogene Bedford,
Publish Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2026, 8:35pm

Research suggests the average Kiwi household loses $1364 a year to food waste. Photo / Michelle Hyslop

A nutrition scientist is urging Kiwis to think twice before throwing out food, saying confusion about food date labels is contributing to hundreds of thousands of tonnes of household food waste a year.

About 1.2 million tonnes of food is lost or wasted every year, costing the country an estimated $3 billion.

With families accounting for 366,000 tonnes of that waste, research suggests confusion over date labels contributes significantly to the amount of food being chucked out.

Two in five Kiwis misunderstand the difference between labels, while more than one in 10 throw out food past its best before date without checking if it might be good to eat, according to Love Food Hate Waste.

Food and nutrition scientist Dr Emma Beckett told the Herald the distinction is more nuanced than simply checking the date.

“We should definitely follow our use-by dates because they are about food safety,” she said.

“But best before, it might be changed in texture or colour or it might feel a little different, the taste might be a little different, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still nutritious.”

Beckett said the nutritional value of many foods does not suddenly deteriorate when they pass their best-before date.

“It’s not Cinderella and the carriage turning into a pumpkin,” she said. “It’s not that it goes from being nutritious to being not nutritious.”

She said the threshold for determining whether a product was consumable past its best-before date is generally personal.

“Whether or not you decide that it’s right for you is up to you, but the point is that you don’t just decide based on the number; decide based on the number, the type of number and your assessment of the food.”

The "Sniff, Look, Taste" campaign aims to tackle food waste by reminding Kiwis to use their senses to check food. Photo / Nestlé

A new Nestlé campaign is aiming to help Kiwis make the distinction with their senses, encouraging them to “Sniff, Look and Taste” their food before throwing it out.

The pilot launched nationwide this week, with the message appearing on selected packs of Maggi 2 Minute Noodles.

Coming in at an average cost of $1364 per household, reducing food waste could make a substantial difference for Kiwi families, Beckett said.

“I think there’s really great benefits to this campaign in just getting people to slow down and think about their choices because we often run on autopilot.”

The charity New Zealand Food Network has also backed the campaign, with chief executive Gavin Findlay saying the pilot is one way of improving awareness around waste.

“It’s great to see Nestlé bringing this simple message and actionable tips to its products, as the Sniff, Look, Taste campaign gives New Zealanders the perfect reminder to take action.

“Reducing household food waste is all about small changes that can make a huge difference, especially when it comes to date labels.”

Kiwis looking to incorporate other food-saving habits into their routines can also reduce their waste by planning meals and finding ways to use fresh produce alongside non-perishable foods.

“Thinking how you can pair those together is a great way to reduce waste,” Beckett said.