Greece gives the green light to "best before"
Published on 3/9/2013
In times of crisis, even the interpretation of regulations becomes more flexible.
The Greek government led by Samaras finds itself managing a country where the recession has cut down 20% of national output since 2010 and where GDP is expected to fall by a further 4.4% this year alone.
The population's average income has fallen below the European average, to fourteen-thousand-odd euros a year, with over 1 million people living below the poverty line, on incomes of less than 8,000 euros a year.
The EU has imposed on Greece harsh measures euphemistically described as "austerity," which have led to an increase in the tax burden with the aim of scraping together the resources needed to recover from the technical bankruptcy of the State's finances.
It is in this context that the government's decision matured — wanted by the Greek Ministry for Economic Development — to allow, starting from September 1, the sale on supermarket shelves of products labeled "best before" beyond the date on the label.
By ministerial directive, the Greek government has established that these products cannot be defined as "expired," since the wording "best before" is intended to suggest to the consumer the date by which the product can guarantee the integrity of its organoleptic properties, and does not refer to deterioration of the product with consequent health risks.
Such products will therefore be placed in specially separated areas within the sales spaces, made available for a limited period of time depending on the categories (whether the label indicates the week, the month or only the year) and sold at a significant discount by large-scale retailers.