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 main…