AUTUMN 2023 USE-BY DATES Best before and use-by dates serve very different purposes for safetys sake, you need to know what they are The difference between best before and use-by dates is important. Some foods deteriorate over time in a way that may present a food-safety risk. On most packaged food, depending on the product, you will see either: A use-by date relating to food safety A best before date relating to food quality The best before date sometimes shown as BBE (best before end) is a recommendation from the manufacturer. It represents a guarantee that, up to this point in time, the food will retain the same quality as it did immediately after production. It does not mean that, after the best before date has passed, the food is not safe or is unfit for consumption. On the contrary the food can often be kept for weeks, months or even years after the date has expired. Selling food past its use-by date is against the law and could cause consumers to contract food poisoning Biscuits may lose their crispness, for example, or a jar of mushy peas could start to discolour but they are still safe to eat. It is not an offence to sell a product past its best before date. The use-by date on a food product tells us directly whether its safe to eat. Use-by dates are usually displayed on foods such as fish, meat, dairy and pre-prepared salads. Manufacturers of these foods are required by law to establish a shelf life for their products, to determine the point at which they will become unsafe for human consumption. Selling food past its use-by date is against the law and could cause consumers to contract food poisoning. Retailers must implement procedures to ensure items with a use-by date are checked regularly and disposed of when the date expires. The Food Standards Agencys Safer food, better business pack offers the following advice on good stock control: Put products with earlier dates at the front of displays, so older stock is sold first Train staff in stock control; make sure they know in what order to display foods and where to put food if it is removed from sale Check regularly that stock control is being carried out effectively Record stock checks in a diary If you have lots of products close to their use by date, consider reducing the price to sell more before that date. In this way, fewer products will be thrown away. Credit: John Harvey, Environmental Health officer Image: iStock / SolStock Case Study: Birmingham City Council v Tesco Birmingham City Council Environmental Health officers discovered 67 out-of-date items across three Tesco stores in 2021. The retailer pleaded guilty to 22 breaches of the Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations, occurring between 2016 and 2017. In April 2021, it was fined 7.56m and ordered to pay Birmingham City Councils 95,500 court costs and 170 victim surcharge. Mark Croxford, the councils head of environmental health, said its successful prosecution of one of the UKs biggest supermarkets should act as a warning to other retailers to ensure stock is in date. Supermarkets have a duty of care to ensure the food and drink they display for sale is in date and, therefore, safe to consume, he added. The purpose of the use-by date is to For further information, please contact your local Trading Standards Service For up-to-date news stories and information, follow us on protect the health of the consumer. Manufacturers put the date on their products to guarantee the food is safe, and ignoring this date undermines consumer safety. Anonymous Hotline 0300 303 2636 Is your sector being undermined by unscrupulous traders operating outside the law? Report them via Trading Standards Anonymous Hotline or online and help level the playing field for honest businesses.