Best Before and Expiry Dates

Best Before and Expiry Dates on Shelf-Stable Foods

Shelf-Stable foods are items that are not required to be refrigerated or frozen to keep them from spoiling.

Many foods that have Best Before dates on them do not need them. There are many that argue that having dates on items that do not require them just increases food waste as shelf-stable products with a very long shelf life may be discarded as soon as it reaches its Best Before date, even when the quality of the product is acceptable.

Which foods are REQUIRED **to have Best Before dates?**

prepackaged foods that will spoil within 90 days of manufacture, including minimally processed fresh fruits and vegetables
A very small set of foods that have specific nutritional requirements, such as infant formula, meal replacement drinks and powders and nutritional supplements

On the products listed above, Best Before or Expiry dates can be about food safety. On products where Best Before dates and Expiry dates are not required, then neither of these dates is about food safety.

Best Before dates on other shelf-stable, prepackaged foods, are voluntary dates put there by the companies, and are about the overall quality of the product as a guideline for how long the product (unopened and stored properly) will retain its wholesomeness, flavour and nutritional value.

Expiry dates on other shelf-stable, prepackaged foods, are about nutritional quality. Expiry dates are a company’s promise that, when stored properly, an unopened product will contain the nutritional content shown on the label at least until the Expiry date.

Whether or not food has passed its Best Before date, it should not be consumed if it has spoiled or if it has not been stored properly (eg. Items requiring refrigeration not being stored in proper temperature)

Many foods that have Best Before dates are perfectly safe to be consumed past the date, provided they have been stored properly. (eg. Shelf-stable items not stored in warm, humid storerooms)

Foods that are low in moisture and/or low in fats and oils will keep longer after labelled dates than foods high in moisture and/or oils and fats.

Some foods even retain their quality up to a year past labelled Best Before dates. (Dry items such as rices, pastas, flours, as well as canned goods and honey)

Best Before and Expiry dates are not like a light switch, in that as soon as that date hits the product instantly becomes spoiled. Up until these labelled dates is when the manufacturer 100% guarantees the quality and freshness of the product. From that point in time, after these dates, the quality and freshness of the product will gradually decrease. The further past the date, the more chance the quality is not the same as it once was - but this will also depend on what type of product it is. As mentioned above, dry and low fat products will decrease more slowly than moister, higher fat products. But as long as products have been stored properly, they can often be still of quality even weeks or months after labelled dates. (assuming they are unopened).

Once these products have been opened, they should be used quickly and/or stored in the refrigerator or freezer to extend their life.

Meal Replacements and Nutritional Supplements past their labelled dates will not contain the nutritional content as labelled and the microbiological and physical stability of the products cannot be guaranteed.

How can I extend the shelf-life of foods?

store in a cool, dry and dark area (like a pantry, cellar or garage storage)
keep your refrigerator set to the colder range of temperature. Cooler temperatures will reduce the spoilage rate and extend shelf-life
ensure frozen foods are frozen SOLID. (freezers should be set to -18 degrees celsius)
Even shelf-stable foods can be refrigerated or frozen to extend their shelf-lives

What about Food Safety?

Date labels are NOT about regular food safety concerns

Storage Conditions and handling can affect the safety of foods

foods that require refrigeration should be held at temperatures between 0 degrees and 4 degrees celsius
frozen foods must not be allowed to thaw before being sold or shared, whether they have best before dates or not
Canned goods must not have excessive damage
Pests must be controlled so as not to contaminate foods
Food handlers must follow all food safety rules so as not to contaminate foods