The relatively high proportion of avoidable waste from leafy salads and the under-consumption of fruits and vegetables generally is contributing toward renewed interest in the value of on-pack dates, particularly those that indicate quality. Current methods of predicting shelf-life in fresh vegetables and salad are relatively conservative due to the high variability of the product and few reliable markers that can be used to predict shelf-life. This is evidenced by the proportion of wastage in this category where fresh vegetables and salad account for almost a quarter of all avoidable food waste by weight. We have looked at the historical context in which date markings have been derived, how they function currently and look at how the current system could be improved. We review the three primary factors that influence the quality of a product – microbiology, visual quality, aroma – and suggest that if more accurate predictions of shelf-life are to be obtained non-destructive methods of testing need to be developed in order to provide the consumer with accurate information about the current state of the product.

绿叶沙拉中可避免的废物比例相对较高，以及水果和蔬菜的消费不足通常促使人们重新关注包装日期的价值，尤其是那些表明质量的日期。由于产品的高度可变性和可用于预测保质期的可靠标记很少，目前预测新鲜蔬菜和沙拉保质期的方法相对保守。此类浪费的比例证明了这一点，其中新鲜蔬菜和沙拉占所有可避免的食物浪费重量的近四分之一。我们已经研究了日期标记的历史背景、它们目前的运作方式以及如何改进当前系统。