For most people the date on a package carries one meaning: throw the product away after that date. Yet there are two different phrases with markedly different meanings.
How are the two date phrases defined?
The Turkish Food Codex and European legislation draw that distinction clearly.
"Use by" applies to products that spoil rapidly in microbiological terms.
After that date the product presents a food safety risk.
It should not be eaten or sold.
"Best before" indicates that the product retains its qualities until that date when stored under the stated conditions.
After that date the product is generally safe.
But there may be a loss in taste, smell, texture or nutritional value.
The difference can be summarised in a sentence: one is about safety and the other about quality.
| Product | Phrase used | After the date |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh meat, poultry, fish | Use by | Should not be eaten |
| Raw milk, fresh cream | Use by | Should not be eaten |
| Prepared salads, sliced deli | Use by | Should not be eaten |
| Canned goods, tomato paste | Best before | Generally safe |
| Dried pasta, rice, pulses | Best before | Generally safe |
| Frozen products | Best before | Quality falls |
| Honey, salt, sugar | Best before | Safe for a long time |
Which products use which?
What decides it is the product's water activity.
Water activity indicates the quantity of free water available to microorganisms.
Bacteria multiply rapidly in products of high water activity — fresh meat, milk, prepared meals.
Those products carry a use-by date.
Microbial growth is practically impossible in products of low water activity — dried pulses, pasta, biscuits.
Those products carry a best-before date.
Canned goods have been heat-treated and sterilised; no living microorganism remains inside.
The product is safe as long as the packaging stays intact.
Microbial activity stops in frozen products at minus 18 degrees; the date becomes an indicator of quality.
How is the date set?
The producer runs a shelf-life study.
The product is stored under defined conditions and examined at intervals.
Microbiological analyses, sensory assessment and chemical measurements are made.
The point at which spoilage begins gets identified.
A safety margin is then added to that period.
The margin generally runs 20 to 30 percent of the identified period.
The real point of spoilage therefore comes after the date on the label.
That is more pronounced with a best-before date.
The margin is narrower on a use-by date, because the risk is more serious.
The date holds on the assumption that the packaging is unopened and the product stored under the stated conditions.
What should be done after the date?
A product past its use-by date should be discarded.
Even where its appearance, smell and taste are normal.
Pathogenic bacteria do not always change a product's sensory properties.
That is the most critical point; the "it smells fine, it's edible" approach does not apply to those products.
A product past its best-before date can be assessed.
The integrity of the packaging gets checked.
Where there is swelling, leakage, rust or denting the product goes.
Where there is no problem the product gets opened and checked by the senses.
Smell, colour, texture and taste get examined.
Where those are normal the product can be eaten.
Dried pasta, rice, pulses and canned goods can be used months later in that way.
What is the scale of the waste?
That is the most practical consequence of the distinction.
Around a third of the food produced worldwide is wasted.
A significant part of that waste comes from misunderstanding the date phrases.
Discarding products past their best-before date creates an unnecessary loss.
Some countries have changed their labelling to reduce that problem.
The date requirement has been removed or relaxed for products that do not spoil, such as honey, salt and sugar.
Some chains sell products nearing their date at a discount.
A system can be set up at home too: products get ordered by date and the nearest ones used first.
That is the simplest and most effective method of reducing waste.
Why do storage conditions matter so much?
The date on the label depends on defined storage conditions.
Where a product marked "store at 4 degrees" is kept at 10, its shelf life shortens markedly.
The rate of bacterial multiplication rises exponentially with temperature.
A rise of five degrees can double that rate.
Fridge temperature should therefore be checked regularly.
The cold chain after shopping matters too; products should not stand long at room temperature.
Putting a cool pack in the shopping bag is worthwhile in summer.
The date on the label ceases to apply once the packaging is opened.
The shelf life after opening then applies; packaging generally carries a phrase such as "consume within 3 days of opening".
That information is more decisive than the main date.
What else should be looked for on the label?
The date alone does not suffice.
The batch number matters too; it identifies which batch a product belongs to in the event of a recall.
Some products also carry a production date; it is voluntary but shows how recent the batch is.
Where two products are being compared, the one with the more recent production date can be preferred.
The storage conditions should always be read.
"Store in a cool, dry place" indicates below 25 degrees, while "keep refrigerated" indicates 0 to 4.
The integrity of the packaging should be checked too; torn, swollen or leaking products should not be bought regardless of their date.
Where a vacuum pack has lost its vacuum the packaging has been pierced and the product is not safe.
How are date phrases managed in a business?
The distinction requires a record system in a business.
Incoming products get checked for dates at goods-in.
Short-life products sit in a separate shelf group.
Products nearing their date get listed at the weekly count.
Those products come forward on the menu or get offered as the dish of the day.
Products past their use-by date get recorded and disposed of.
That record is needed for both inspection and cost analysis.
The rate of waste gets monitored regularly; high waste indicates that order quantities are wrong.
That tracking turns date management from a food safety subject into a cost management one.
The same record also shows which suppliers deliver product with short remaining life, which is rarely visible from a single delivery.
