What’s the difference between “Use By” and “Best Before” dates?

Date marking is essential for managing food safety and quality. It helps staff track when food needs to be used or thrown away and ensures good stock rotation.

What are Use By dates?

Use By dates are found on high-risk, perishable foods that usually require chilled storage. Examples include:

• Meat products (e.g. cooked meats, roast chicken)
• Fish products (e.g. smoked salmon)
• Dairy products (e.g. milk, cheese)

It’s a criminal offence for a food business to sell or use food past its Use By date. After this point, harmful bacteria may have multiplied to unsafe levels, creating a risk of food poisoning.

If an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) finds out-of-date food during an inspection, they may:

• Give verbal advice and ask for the food to be disposed of
• Record the issue in a report or letter
• Seize the food and begin legal proceedings in more serious or repeated cases

Even if it’s the first time, this could impact your Food Hygiene Rating, so it’s important to have robust processes in place.

What are Best Before dates?

Best Before dates are used on lower-risk foods such as:

• Canned or tinned products
• Dry products like pasta, rice, biscuits, and bread
• High sugar products such as sweets, chocolates and jams
• Frozen items

These foods have a longer shelf life. It is not generally an offence to sell food past its Best Before date, provided it’s still of acceptable quality and fit for human consumption. However, food may lose its freshness, for example, crisps might be less crunchy or bread may be dry.

It’s worth noting that some food items with a Best Before date that can be stored at ambient temperature prior to opening, actually require chilled storage once they have been opened and must also be used within a certain period of time after opening. These products should therefore be labelled with a Use By date once opened. For example; a jar of mayonnaise. Always refer to the product label for storage instructions once opened.

Labelling for safety and quality

Accurate food labelling plays a key role in ensuring food safety and maintaining high standards. It enables you to maintain effective stock control and follow a “First In, First Out” (FIFO) system whereby items with the shortest shelf lives are placed at the front of your shelves and used first.

Using Labl.it for prep labels can help ensure that Use By and Best Before dates are applied clearly and consistently, reducing the risk of errors and waste.

Summary

Understanding the difference between Use By and Best Before dates is essential for any food business.

• Use By dates relate to food safety and must be strictly followed. Using food past this date is a criminal offence and could make your customers sick.
• Best Before dates relate to food quality, and while food will generally be safe to eat, its texture or flavour might deteriorate.
• Opened products may require a different storage method and an updated Use By date.

This blog was written by our partner Natalie Stanton, a Chartered Environmental Health Officer (or EHO) and food safety expert.