What expiration dates on foods really mean
Avoid food poisoning and wasting food
Food expiration dates are the bane of the shopper and the fridge browser.
"Erm, it says here it expired three days ago, but I'm hungry and it smells ok - i think i'll chance it!"
Sounds familiar?
Here's a handy guide to your food labels, so you know what you can eat and what you should throw away.
There are four main labels you should be aware of:
Best before:
Let's start with 'best before'. These dates generally appear on a range of frozen, dried and tinned foods. With the exception of eggs, these dates indicate quality rather than safety.
In other words, the food might not taste as good after the 'best before' date, but it should do you no harm.
Eggs are a different story, because they can contain the salmonella bacteria, which can multiply after the 'best before' date.
Keep in mind that the 'best before' time stamp is only accurate if you've stored the food according to instructions i.e. in the fridge, or in a cool, dry place.
Use by:
The 'use by' label is used for foods that spoil quickly, such as meat, smoked fish and ready to eat salads.
The key advice is that you should not consume any food past the 'use by' date - even it it looks and smells fine. This is because it can make you ill.
Make sure you follow the storage instructions on the food carefully, because if you do not, it may spoil and you could get food poisoning.
The 'use by' label is indicative - you may actually freeze the food in question (if the label says you can), and consume it at a later date.
You should pay close attention to the cooking instructions, as well as following advice given about consuming the food within a certain time frame.
For instance, if the food has a 'use by' date which expires the following day, you must consume the food in the next day, even if the packaging says 'consume within a week of opening'.
Display until:
The 'display until' label usually appears next to the 'best before' or 'use by' date, and is used by retailers to help with stock control. The dates are meant for staff, so they know when to remove items from the shop floor.
Avoid food poisoning and wasting food
Food expiration dates are the bane of the shopper and the fridge browser.
"Erm, it says here it expired three days ago, but I'm hungry and it smells ok - i think i'll chance it!"
Sounds familiar?
Here's a handy guide to your food labels, so you know what you can eat and what you should throw away.
There are four main labels you should be aware of:
Best before:
Let's start with 'best before'. These dates generally appear on a range of frozen, dried and tinned foods. With the exception of eggs, these dates indicate quality rather than safety.
In other words, the food might not taste as good after the 'best before' date, but it should do you no harm.
Eggs are a different story, because they can contain the salmonella bacteria, which can multiply after the 'best before' date.
Keep in mind that the 'best before' time stamp is only accurate if you've stored the food according to instructions i.e. in the fridge, or in a cool, dry place.
Use by:
The 'use by' label is used for foods that spoil quickly, such as meat, smoked fish and ready to eat salads.
The key advice is that you should not consume any food past the 'use by' date - even it it looks and smells fine. This is because it can make you ill.
Make sure you follow the storage instructions on the food carefully, because if you do not, it may spoil and you could get food poisoning.
The 'use by' label is indicative - you may actually freeze the food in question (if the label says you can), and consume it at a later date.
You should pay close attention to the cooking instructions, as well as following advice given about consuming the food within a certain time frame.
For instance, if the food has a 'use by' date which expires the following day, you must consume the food in the next day, even if the packaging says 'consume within a week of opening'.
Display until:
The 'display until' label usually appears next to the 'best before' or 'use by' date, and is used by retailers to help with stock control. The dates are meant for staff, so they know when to remove items from the shop floor.
Sell by:
Much like the 'display until' label, the 'sell by' label is for the convenience of the shop staff, so they can remove items from sale.
The important dates you should pay attention to are the 'best before' and 'use by' labels.
Much like the 'display until' label, the 'sell by' label is for the convenience of the shop staff, so they can remove items from sale.
The important dates you should pay attention to are the 'best before' and 'use by' labels.
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