Best Before and Use by Date

Food labels provide a wide range of information about food. It shows nutrition value, ingredients, allergen caution and different dates. Dates gives an idea on how long a food can be kept before it start to deteriorate or become unsafe to consume.

Use by date and best before dates are two dates often confused but is important to know the difference to properly use the food item.

USE BY DATE

‘Use by date’ indicate when a product is no longer safe to eat. Food with use by date is to be consumed before the date due to health and safety concerns. Food should not be eaten or sold after the use by date even if the food looks, smells and tastes good.

Use by dates are mostly seen on highly perishable foods such as meat, fish, dairy products and salads. You should follow any storage instructions specified on the product to avoid spoilage before the use by date. Foods labelled with ‘use by date’ should be checked daily to make sure they are still safe to eat. If the food can be frozen, its shelf life can be extended. But you should follow any instructions on the pack such as ‘freeze on the day purchased’, ‘cook from frozen’, or ‘defrost thoroughly before use and use within 24 hours’.

BEST BEFORE DATE

Best before dates indicate the quality of the product rather than its safety. A food with best before date can be consumed even after the date but the texture and taste may not be that good compared to the before date.

Best before dates appear on a wide range of dried, frozen and tinned foods such as pasta, rice, chocolate etc. The best before date is only accurate if stored as per manufacturer instructions such as ‘store in a cool dry place’ or ‘refrigerate once opened’. Once a food with best before date is opened, follow any instructions such as ‘consume within 3 days after opening’ when applicable.

So, if you want to enjoy the food at its best, use it by its best before date and make sure you follow any instructions.

Sometimes you may also see date marks such as ‘Display until’ or ‘sell by’ next to the ‘best before’ or ‘use by date’. They are used by some shops to help with stock control and are instructions for retailers and not for customers.