Know your food dates

 

Do you know your 'use by’ from your ‘best before’?

A survey by the Food Standards Agency1 suggests that many of us are not sure what these dates mean.

• 45% of people incorrectly identified the meaning of ‘use by’ date

• 49% of people incorrectly identified the meaning of ‘best before’ date

Most prepacked foods must by law be marked with either a ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date. It is important to know the difference between these two dates to ensure the food you eat is safe whilst not unnecessarily throwing away food. . A WRAP report2 calculated that of 4.1 million tonnes of avoidable food waste, 340,000 tonnes is within date. A typical household with children throws away £610 worth of food that could have been eaten.

 

So what do these terms really mean?

‘Use by’ dates are marked on foods that are highly perishable and could ‘go off’. These foods can become unsafe if eaten past the date. Examples of such foods are those kept chilled e.g. meat, fish and many dairy products (milk, soft cheese, cream). It is important that you store these foods properly at home to make sure they last until the marked date. It may also be possible to freeze the food so check the label for more details.

Food beyond a ‘use by’ should be disposed of and not eaten.

It is an offence for a shop to sell food past a ‘use by’ date.

‘Before dates’ are used for all other foods and indicates the best time by which to eat the food to ensure it is of the quality expected e.g. taste, colour and texture. It should be safe to eat foods marked with a ‘best before’ after the date but it may no longer be at its best.

Some foods which you may expect to have a ‘use by’ will have a ‘best before’ date if they have been treated in some way. For example milk may be ‘ultra heat treated’ (the initials UHT may be used on the label). These foods have a longer life and are marked with a ‘best before’ date.

Eggs are an exception to these rules. They should not be eaten after their best before date. Eggs can contain bacteria and the risk increases as the egg gets older. In particular children, elderly people, pregnant women and anyone who is unwell are more at risk. Eggs should be stored in the fridge and properly cooked so the yolks and whites are solid.

Sometimes people refer to the term ‘sell by’. This is no longer a legally recognised term used for food labelling.

For more details on reducing food waste visit the Love Food Hate Waste website

Notes

1. Figures are taken from The Food Standards Agency Consumer Attitudes Survey 2007 published in February 2008

2. A Figures are taken from the WRAP report The Food We Waste published in May 2008