A use-by date indicates the last date that a particular food item is considered safe to eat, while a best-before date indicates the date the food will be at its peak quality.
Use-by dates are crucial for food safety, especially for perishable items. While best-before dates relate to the food’s taste, texture, and freshness. So what do these dates really mean? Many of us get confused by the dates printed on our food items. Is it safe to eat food after the date has passed?
Here’s a more detailed explanation:
Use-by Date:
- Indicates the last date a food is safe to eat.
- Applies to perishable foods like meat, poultry, dairy, and ready meals.
- Foods with use-by dates can become unsafe to eat before they are visibly spoiled.
- It’s illegal to sell food past its use-by date according to the Ministry for Primary Industries.
- After the use-by date, the food should not be eaten.
You can extend the life of food, if you freeze it before the use by date and defrost and use within 24 hours. The reason that some foods have use by dates is because they can spoil without any visual signs.
Best-before Date:
- Indicates the date the food will be at its best quality (taste, texture, etc.).
- Applies to a wide range of foods, including shelf-stable items like pasta, biscuits, and dried goods.
- Foods with best-before dates can still be safe to eat after the date, but they may not be at their peak quality.
- Food can be sold beyond its best-before date if it is still safe to eat and fit for human consumption.
- After the best-before date, the food may lose some flavor, texture, or nutrients, but it may still be safe to eat if stored properly.
Foods that have a best before date are likely to have sensory clues to tell you that the food has gone bad. For example, it may have grown mould, have a funny smell or taste sour or rancid. If the food has none of these characteristics then it should be fine to eat.
Here is a handy poster to download which summaries best before date guidelines. Down load here.
Other important information:
- Always follow the storage instructions on the packaging such as “eat within x days of opening.”
- Please take extra caution if you are pregnant, sick, elderly or are giving the food to a young child.
Other dates you will see on some items are baked on and packed on.
- Breads with a shelf life of less than seven days can have a baked on date. Although bread is best frozen or stored in the fridge due to our humid climate.
- Packed on dates on other foods tell you how long the product’s been sitting on the shop shelf. This information isn’t mandatory but it’s handy for knowing how fresh something is – such as coffee beans.
- Products that deteriorate, such as olive oil, may have a pressed on or harvested on date. This information lets you know how old the oil is – the fresher, the better.
How long will it last?
How long it’s safe to keep a particular food depends on several factors, its water and protein content; its freshness and quality when you bought it; how it’s been stored, and the pathogens likely to grow on the food. The list below provides a guide to how long some common foods remain safe in your fridge once the packaging has been opened.
| Product | How long it lasts |
| Bacon | 1 week |
| Butter | 8 weeks |
| Camembert or brie | 1 week |
| Cooked meat or poultry | 3 to 4 days |
| Cottage cheese (opened) | 3 days |
| Eggs | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Fresh fish | 1 to 2 days |
| Fresh poultry | 1 to 2 days |
| Hamburger meat | 1 to 2 days |
| Luncheon (opened) | 3 to 5 days |
| Mayonnaise | 8 weeks |
| Pizza | 3 to 4 days |
| Roast meat | 3 to 5 days |
| Sausages | 1 to 2 days |
| Shellfish | 1 to 2 days |
| Soups | 3 to 4 days |
| Steaks | 3 to 5 days |
| Stews | 3 to 4 days |
| Yoghurt (opened) | 3 days |
Common questions:
Can I eat meat after its use by date if it has been frozen?
Meat is fine to eat after its use by date, but only if it was frozen before the date. Defrost and cook it within 24 hours.
Is it safe to eat eggs after their best before date?
In New Zealand eggs are safe to eat after their best before date, but you need to keep them cool to keep them fresher for longer. To check if an egg is fresh you should do the float test – place it in a bowl of water, if it floats it should not be eaten.
What about yoghurt?
Dairy products have a best before date, which means they can safely be eaten after their date. Always use your senses to check it – if anything seems a bit off then don’t eat it. Sometimes yoghurt can get a bit watery. This liquid is the whey separating from the rest of the yoghurt. It is safe to eat – just mix it back into the yoghurt.
Does canned food last forever?
No – but it can last for many, many years, which is why it is good to have a stash in case of an emergency. However, it needs to be stored in a cool, dry place. If a tin has a small dent, but otherwise there appears to be nothing wrong with it, the food should be safe to eat. But if a can has a deep dent – one that you can lay your finger into – it should be discarded. Deep dents often have sharp points and these could have allowed bacteria into the can. If you do not use all of the food from a can at once, transfer it to another container then store it in the fridge. It is not safe to store food in cans once they have been opened.
Why is there a best before date on my packet of biscuits?
Any food with a shelf life of less than two years is required to have a best before date on it. Chances are your biscuits (or other packaged item) will still be good to eat long after this date.
Is food on “quick sale” at the supermarket ok to eat?
Yes. If you’re not going to eat it immediately, put it in the freezer. In New Zealand it is legal to sell food which has passed its best before date, but not food which has passed its use by date.
Tips to help prevent food waste
- Use a cooler bag, chilly bin or ice packs when transporting food from the supermarket.
- Store food according to the instructions on the packet.
- Write the date you opened the product on the package so you can eat it within the recommended timeframe.
- Freeze food before its best-before or use-by date. Once it has been removed from the freezer and defrosted in the fridge, prepare and eat it within 24 hours.
- Check to make sure your fridge temperature is between 2°C and 4°C and your freezer below -18°C.
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