A MARKET trader in Accrington has pledged to ‘smash the taboo’ over out of date chocolate.

Muhammad Hussain, 35, opened Smart Chocolate in December and offers confectionary which is past its sell-by date.

The father-of-three, from Burnley, said he hopes selling the stock — which accounts for two per cent of what he sells — will help reduce food waste.

Mr Hussain said: “People don’t want to pay over the odds, and a lot of people are unemployed. One woman hugged me and said I was a Godsend because she has five kids.”

Mr Hussain said he also sells tinned food, pet food, and baby food, and wants to change people’s attitude to food that is out of date.

Use-before dates appear on food that goes off quickly, such as fish, meat, and salads, while best before dates appear on frozen, dried, and tinned foods, which deteriorate over time.

Best before dates are ‘more about quality than safety’, the Food Standards Agency says.

Mr Hussain added: “Most of us are under the understanding that, if food goes out of date just by one day, it means throw it in the bin.

“By making people aware, we can help them save money.”