Every year, millions of Canadians throw out perfectly good food—just because it’s passed its best before date. But here’s the truth: Best before doesn’t mean bad after.
The average Canadian household loses $1,300 a year on food that didn’t need to be tossed.
It’s time to rewrite the story we’ve been told about date labels and food safety.
Let’s understand what those dates really mean, how to make the most of your groceries, and how small changes in your kitchen can lead to big savings.
TAKE ACTION
Join our challenge
Got what it takes to rescue food before it hits the trash? Join our 4-week challenge for the chance to win a $500 gift card for your groceries!
Attend a free webinar
Hear directly from the experts on what date labels really mean, how to assess your food, and strategies for using up food that is nearing the end of its life.
Spread the word
Find out the different ways you can support this campaign and help us share the truth about best before dates with your communities.
Find a food-saving strategy
From how best to store your food to how to use up every last scrap, browse our strategies to help you spend more time with your food.
JOIN OUR 4-WEEK ‘MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR FOOD’ CHALLENGE FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN $500 TOWARDS YOUR GROCERIES
Ready to grow your food waste-fighting skills? Join our 4-week Make the Most of Your Food challenge starting October 18 and learn how to outsmart date labels, save money, and reduce food waste at home. Plus, when you complete the challenge, you’ll be entered to win one of four $500 gift cards for groceries. Plus the first 50 people to complete the challenge in full will also receive a free Fridge Friend (valued at $92), to help you keep the food in your fridge fresh for longer!
Here’s how it works:
- Each week, you’ll receive one simple strategy straight to your inbox or cell phone—plus helpful tips, info, and small actions to try during the week.
- You’ll complete a short survey before and after the challenge, to share your attitudes and behaviours regarding best before dates.
- The whole experience is low time commitment, high impact. You’ll come away with practical habits that stretch your groceries further and save you money.
Spend more time with your food, save money, and join a growing movement to reduce waste—one best before date at a time.
HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THE EXPERTS DURING OUR WEBINAR SERIES
We’ve teamed up with food waste experts to bring you a free webinar series designed to give you the tools and knowledge to make the most of your food—and waste less of it.
Sessions will dive into different topics, including:
- The surprising history of best before dates – How they came to be, what they were originally intended for, and how they’ve evolved
- What “best before” really means – Clarifying the difference between best before and expiry dates, and what that means for food safety
- The latest research on date label confusion – Why so many people misunderstand them, and what that’s costing us
- How to know if your food is still good – Using your senses and storage know-how to safely enjoy more of what you buy
- Creative strategies for food nearing its end – Get inspired by practical tips, kitchen hacks, and cooking demos for using up aging ingredients
Whether you’re looking to stretch your grocery budget, reduce waste at home, or simply learn more about the food you eat—these webinars are for you.
JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST FOOD WASTE
There’s something here for everyone.
Whether you’re an educator, content creator, community leader, or simply someone who wants to make your food go further, you can play a part in helping Canadians rethink best before dates—and reduce food waste at home.
💰 Sponsors
Your sponsorship helps fund traditional and digital advertising, and our national social media campaign, so that we can reach even more Canadians with practical, money-saving strategies to make food go further—at a time when people need it more than ever. It’s also a powerful way to show your brand’s commitment to sustainability, affordability, and supporting Canadians. Want to make an impact? Let’s talk sponsorship.
🎓 Educators
Empower your students to reduce household food waste by improving their food literacy skills and increasing their knowledge of best before dates with our free Educator Toolkit. Designed to support learning outcomes related to food, waste, climate change, and sustainability, this toolkit includes a supplemental reading list, ideas to incorporate the campaign into your classroom, accompanying assessment suggestions, and a ready-to-use campaign slide deck. Download the toolkit and equip your students with the skills they need to take meaningful action on food wasting.
🧡 Supporters
Is your organization passionate about reducing food waste? Access to a full library of ready-to-use communication tools to help you educate and inspire your audiences with ease.
👥 Individuals and households
Want to take action at home? Share our content on social media, take part in our challenge, and join one of our upcoming webinars. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and invite your friends and family to get involved too!
📱 Content creators
Help spread this important message with your audience! We’ve got everything you need to create engaging content that educates and empowers your community of followers.
FIND A FOOD-SAVING STRATEGY TO HELP YOU SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOUR FOOD
Want to waste less and save more? Explore simple, effective strategies to help you store food properly and use up what you have—before it goes bad. From shelf-life and fridge storage guides to practical “How do I…?” tips (like keeping herbs fresh or freezing meat safely), you’ll find everything you need to give your food a longer life. Not sure what to do with that lonely ingredient in your fridge? Use our recipe finder to discover delicious ways to use it up.
THE COST OF NOT UNDERSTANDING BEST BEFORE DATES
The myth around best before dates is costing us—both financially and environmentally.
In Canada, 23% of avoidable food waste is linked to the misuse and misunderstanding of date labels. That’s food that was still perfectly good—thrown out too soon.
And that waste adds up. The average Canadian household loses $1,300 a year on food that didn’t need to be tossed. Can we really afford to throw away good food?
It’s not just hitting our wallets. Food waste is a major driver of climate change—contributing nearly five times more greenhouse gas emissions than the aviation industry. So when we reduce food waste, we’re also helping protect the planet.
When you spend more time with your food—by storing it properly, checking it, smelling it, tasting it, and getting creative in the kitchen—you’re not just saving money.
You’re making a real impact.
CAMPAIGN SPONSORS
Discover how Fridge Friend makes your food stay fresh for longer!
CAMPAIGN SUPPORTERS
