Calbee to extend 'best before' dates for potato chip products by two months

Major Japanese snack-maker Calbee Inc. said Thursday that it will extend the “best before” date for its potato chip products by two months.

The company also said it will change the best-before labels for such products to display the year and month, instead of the current labeling that shows the year, month and date.

The changes were made possible because Calbee has improved the quality of the products by reviewing its manufacturing processes, ingredients and packaging materials, the firm said.

The company hopes that the changes will help address food loss, or food that can be eaten but is thrown away, which is becoming a social issue.

Calbee will extend the “best before” date for some 100 types of bagged potato chip products from the current four months to six months, starting with those manufactured Oct. 1.

For potato chips in tubes, the company will prolong the “best before” date from the current 12 months to 13 months, starting with those made Saturday.

Moves to reduce food waste and streamline inventory control are spreading in the nation’s food industry.

Ajinomoto Co. has introduced “best before” date labels that display only the year and month for its seasonings and powdered soups.

Calbee plans to extend “best before” dates and introduce labels that display the year and month for its other products in the future.