TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Efforts to reduce food waste are gaining momentum in Japan, with many companies extending expiration and best-before dates for processed foods, although small businesses have been notably slower to do so, a recent survey showed.

The survey, conducted by a Consumer Affairs Agency panel and targeting 585 food manufacturers, found that expiration or best-before dates had been extended for 43 percent of the 935 products covered.

But while large and medium-sized companies have actively adopted such measures, over half of small businesses had no plans to follow suit, citing difficulties such as maintaining consistent product quality and managing the associated costs, the survey said.

The government has set a goal of halving food waste by fiscal 2030 compared with fiscal 2000. Data for fiscal 2022, released this year, showed that the business sector has already met this target, although household waste remained short of the goal.

The survey, conducted online from July to August, defined small- to medium-sized companies as those with capital of up to 300 million yen or fewer than 300 employees, while small businesses were classified as those with fewer than 20 workers. Companies outside these categories were classified as big firms.

The survey covered 112 items with expiration dates and 823 with best-before dates. It showed respondents had no plan to extend these dates for 33 percent of the products, while indicating interest in doing so for 23 percent but citing challenges in maintaining quality and safety in different seasons and according to consumer handling, among other factors.

By company size, 53 percent of small businesses reported no plans to extend expiration dates, compared with 29 percent of small- to medium-sized firms and 15 percent of large companies.