Best before
A best before date marks when food is at its best quality, not when it turns unsafe. Food can usually be eaten after it if stored as directed.
Also called Best before end, Best if used by, Best by.
A best before date is about quality, not safety. It tells you how long food will keep its best flavor and texture if you store it as the label says and the pack is not opened or damaged. After the date, food may be a little stale, dry or less tasty, but it is usually still safe to eat. In the EU and the UK, it is the date you see on dried, canned, frozen and other longer-life food.
How to use it
Before you eat food past its best before date:
- Check the pack. It should be sealed and undamaged, and cans should not bulge, leak or have deep dents.
- Look at it. Throw it away if you see mold, unusual color or insects.
- Smell and taste a little. Stale crackers or flat-tasting spices are a quality problem, not a safety one.
How to store it
The date only holds if you follow the storage instructions, such as "store in a cool, dry place" or "keep refrigerated". Once a pack is opened, follow any "once opened, use within" instruction, which replaces the best before date. Freezing extends the life of most foods, though quality slowly falls in the freezer too, and freezer burn can set in.
Common mistakes
- Confusing best before with use by. A use by date is about safety, and food should not be eaten after it.
- Throwing away good food. Dried pasta, rice, flour, canned goods and frozen food often keep well past their best before date. Whole-grain flour and nuts can turn rancid, which you can smell.
- Ignoring the storage instructions, which matter more than the date.
- Treating "display until" or "sell by" as dates for you. They are for shop staff.
In recipes
Recipes do not mention best before dates, but a few ingredients lose strength with age. Old baking powder, baking soda and yeast can stop working, and old spices lose flavor. Put new packs behind old ones, the first in, first out rule, so you use the oldest first.
The rules differ between countries. EU and UK law sets the meaning of "best before". In the US, there is no federal rule on date labels except for infant formula. The USDA recommends the phrase "Best if used by" to mean a quality date.
Related terms
- Use byA use by date is the safety deadline on perishable food like fresh meat, fish and dairy. After it, do not eat the food, even if it looks and smells fine.
- Shelf-stableShelf-stable food can be stored unopened at room temperature, like canned goods, dried pasta and UHT milk. Many of them need the fridge once opened.
- First in, first outFirst in, first out (FIFO) means using your oldest food first. Put new groceries behind older ones so nothing expires at the back of the shelf.
- Freezer burnFreezer burn is the dry, grayish, leathery patches on frozen food left exposed to air. It is safe to eat but tastes and feels worse, so trim it off.