A Joint Declaration Was Published for STT and TETT Awareness.

Every Year 14 Million Tons of Food Goes to Waste

The declaration stated that approximately 14 million tons of food are wasted annually in Türkiye at the direct consumption stage, encompassing households, retail, and the service sector. The statement emphasized that what is thrown away is not only food; it is also water, energy, labor, time, and natural resources that are lost.

72% of the public doesn't know the difference between STT (Secondary Service Date) and TETT (Full Service Date).

The joint statement highlighted that in Türkiye, 7 out of 10 people are unaware of the difference between the "Use and Prescribed" date. This lack of information, it was stated, leads to millions of tons of edible food being wasted unnecessarily.

TETT Demonstrates Quality, STT Demonstrates Safety.

The declaration stated that the Best Before Date (BBD) is an indicator of quality and taste in durable products such as pasta, legumes, canned goods, and biscuits. It was also stated that products stored under appropriate conditions and showing no signs of spoilage do not, by themselves, pose a health risk if their BBD has passed.

In contrast, it was emphasized that the Best Before Date (BBD) is a safety limit for high-risk foods such as meat, milk, fish, and eggs, and it was reminded that products past their BDD should absolutely not be consumed.

Food Waste Exacerbates the Climate Crisis.

The declaration highlighted that food waste is not just an economic loss. It stated that if food waste were a country, it would be the world's third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions after the US and China, and emphasized that awareness of the Best Before Date (BOT) plays a crucial role in combating the climate crisis.

Joint Call to All Stakeholders

The declaration called on sustainability organizations, consumer associations, manufacturers, retailers, and media outlets to work together. It particularly emphasized the need to reintegrate products nearing their best before dates into the economy through discount shelves, food banking, and social responsibility projects, to include more descriptive information on packaging, and to promote food literacy in society.

"Protect Your Food, Save Your Tomorrow"

The campaign, announced with the slogan "Protect Your Food, Save Your Tomorrow," is supported by the Food Safety Association, the Food Retailers Association, the Reliable Product Platform, the Sustainability Academy, the Sustainable Food Platform, the Basic Needs Association, the Consumer Application Center, the Consumer Protection Association, the Consumer Complaints Federation, the Turkish Food Industry Employers' Union, and the Turkish Food and Beverage Industry Associations Federation.