From this week, best before dates will be scrapped on 116 products including apples, oranges, cabbages and asparagus. The supermarket removed guidance dates from around 70 fruit and veg lines earlier this year.

Tesco said the move was part of its commitment to reduce food waste and help to prevent “perfectly edible food” from being thrown away.

New research reveals 69% of customers believe scrapping best before dates is a good idea, while 53% of shoppers said it would help them keep perfectly good food for longer.

Tesco’s head of food waste reduction, Mark Little, said: “Removing best before dates is our way of making it easier for customers to reduce food waste at home and save money in the process.

“It’s simply not right that food goes to waste and we’re going to do everything we can to help.”

‘Best before’ v ‘use by’

Best before dates appear on a range of food and are a mark of quality not safety.

According to the Food Standards Agency, the food will be safe to eat after this date but may not be at its best. Its flavour and texture might not be as good.

Use by dates on food are about safety. According to the NHS, eating any food after the end of the use by date could put your health at risk.