Use by or best before: what does the date mean?

How it works

This tool applies the Food Standards Agency's advice on date labels. It doesn't look at your food, and it can't tell you whether something is safe to eat. If in doubt, throw it out.

Use by is about safety. You'll see it on food that goes off quickly, such as meat products and ready-to-eat salads. You can eat food until and on the date, but not after it, even if it looks and smells fine. You can freeze it up to midnight on the date. Once it's defrosted, use it within 24 hours.

Best before is about quality. You'll usually see it on tinned, dried and frozen food, and on cheese. The food is usually safe after the date, but it may not be as good. You can look at it and smell it to judge. Eggs are the exception to know: the FSA says they're safe for a couple of days after the date, if they're cooked well.

Display until and sell by are for shops, for stock rotation. Government guidance from 2011 asked for them to be removed to avoid confusion, but you may still see them. Go by the use-by or best before date.

What this means for a stockpile: most of what you store has a best before date, so passing it doesn't mean throwing it out. It means using it soon. Be Ready suggests setting a reminder every six months to check dates and swap out what needs replacing. Put new stock behind old, and don't keep anything long-term that has a use-by date, unless it's in the freezer.