"Best before" dates and proper storage instructions (if they differ from normal room temperature) must appear on pre-packaged foods that will keep fresh for 90 days or less, and are packaged at a place other than the retail store from which they are sold.However, they do give you information about the freshness and potential shelf-life of the unopened foods you are buying. "Best before" dates do not guarantee product safety.This information is usually found on the label with the words "best before" and " meilleur avant.".A "best-before" date, also known as a "durable life date", tells you when this durable life period ends.any other qualities claimed by the manufacturer."Durable life" means the anticipated amount of time that an unopened food product, when stored under appropriate conditions, will retain its.Information about dates on pre-packaged food is a valuable source of information for consumers.Ī basic understanding of what terms are used can help you to better understand these labels. Product category, with the expected shelf lifeĭate Labelling on Pre-packaged Foods (source CFIA) Now we show BB (Best Before) / MA ( Meilleur Avant (best before in French)) then YYYYMMDD Our labeling system after March 2015. (This example is for BB/MA 2017MR20) Then it's fine! We are too wasteful.ĭoes the same apply for baby carrots? It says "best if used by" and it's after that date.We know it can be very confusing trying to interpret all the various date codes that are on the many different items we buy at the grocery store.īelow is a quick overview on how we date our products, a list (by product category, with the expected shelf life) and below that an overview by one of the agencies that we are governed by (example - CFIA). There have not always been "use by" dates, just the old tried and tested method of: does it smell good? Yes. I am sure use by dates are there purely for safety, - and the manufacturers'! She didn't think I'd see them and go "yum" while she was upstairs.Įither they were fine or i have the greatest immune system. My mom had found them behind the couch and put them on the kitchen counter in order to throw them away the next she went to the garage (she had no bags for the kitchen garbage pail). I once ate snack chips (of the corn type) that were two years expired. so i decided against eating it, but I'm sure it was safe to eat but definitely not normal. Like i didn't know they were expired until i bit into it, so there's a definite difference ahh. I had one a month past the date, all of it tasted fine except the cream part was like thicker. What is difference between "use before date" and "Expiry date". What is the definition of "use before date". The store manager can decide to discount it for quick sale or throw it out and order newer stock. The food manufacturer is essentially saying it can only guarantee the quality of the product until that day. The "sell by" date is not really aimed at consumers, but more at store managers.
That "use by" date is usually pretty generous, since many people will have already used it up long before it's had a chance to go bad. Some foods just don't last forever, especially after they've been opened. If it says "Use by (date)", then there could be a question of actual spoilage. Many foods pick up odors from other foods or degrade a little in flavor or quality over time, so that particular date probably means it's still perfectly edible for a little while, but just not at the peak of freshness. I would still eat certain foods after that date, as long as they still looked and smelled okay.
The way I look at it, the "best if used by" date is referring to food quality, not necessarily food safety. Food acids do interact with metal and plastic containers.
The example can of soda opened past its date may taste metallic. Some of those best by dates are because the packaging may degrade and affect the food. This article only discusses the food itself, but we can't forget about the packaging. If the expiry date is august 13, I'm wondering whether we should use the product until August 31st or July 31st.