Supermarket Morrisons is getting rid of its best before dates on their own-brand milk.

Instead, they will be encouraging customers to "sniff test" the milk to determine whether or not it has gone off.

The move comes about in a bid to help reduce food waste.

READ MORE: Aldi shoppers praise 'brilliant' £30 SpecialBuy as 'absolute steal'

Morrisons believes the move will stop millions of pints of its own-brand milk from being thrown away every year and are the first large store in the UK to make the change.

Milk is the third most wasted food in the UK and the retailer estimates customers throw out millions of pints each year while adhering to the advisory timeframe.

Ian Goode, senior milk buyer at Morrisons, said: "Wasted milk means wasted effort by our farmers and unnecessary carbon being released into the atmosphere.

"Good quality well-kept milk has a good few days life after normal 'use by' dates - and we think it should be consumed, not tipped down the sink.

"So, we're taking a bold step today and asking customers to decide whether their milk is still good to drink.

"Generations before us have always used the sniff test - and I believe we can too."

You can normally tell that milk has gone off as it develops a sour smell or a curdled consistency.

Recycling charity Wrap said milk is the third most wasted food and drink product in the UK, after potatoes and bread, with around 490 million pints wasted every year.

Marcus Gover, of Wrap, said: "I am delighted that Morrisons is the first UK supermarket to take this important step to help reduce household food waste - it shows real leadership and we look forward to more retailers reviewing date labels on their products and taking action."

Get the top stories straight to your inbox by signing up for one of our free newsletters