Warburtons has become one of the first brands to simplify on-pack dates.

The plant baker has removed its ‘display until’ code and will now only include a single ‘best before’ date on all its products in a bid to stop confusion around on-pack consumption advice.

It has pre-empted Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidance, which is due to be revised in September as a way to help food businesses become more consistent and improve consumer confidence.

The FSA looked at replacing the current system with a simple ‘use-before’ date – the only piece of information that offers a safety cut-off point, and a consultation with the industry ended last month.

A Warburtons spokesman said: “We have made this move based on customer feedback and the fact that some confusion existed with consumers on the use of display-until dates. Warburtons remains committed to baking high-quality, fresh bakery products and we hope this change will make it clearer for consumers buying bakery products in-store.”

Under EU food law, pre-packed food must carry either ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date marks, and it is up to food manufacturers to decide what to put on products.