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Give feedback on this pageDate Marking
Most packaged foods (ones pre-packaged in advance of their sale) are required to be date marked with an indication of the minimum durability of the food.
There are three types of date markings stated in the legislation in respect of packaged food.
These are as follows:
• Use By - This should be applied to foods which, from the microbiological point of view, are highly perishable and are therefore likely after a short period to constitute an immediate danger to human health, e.g. fresh meat, fish, poultry, cooked meat, pate, dairy products, ready made meals, salads and soft cheeses. They are required to be marked with 'a day' and 'a month', e.g. Use by 28 January.
• Best Before - This should be applied to foods intended to have a shelf life of three months or less, e.g. bread, hard cheeses. They are required to be marked with 'a day' and 'a month', e.g. Best before 04 March.
'Best before' may also be applied to foods with a shelf life of between three months and eighteen months, provided it is marked with 'a day', 'a month' and 'a year', e.g. Best before 22 June 2006.
These foods may also be marked with 'best before end' - see below.
• Best Before End - This should be applied to foods intended to have a shelf life in excess of three months, e.g. frozen and tinned foods. They are required to be marked with 'a month' and 'a year', e.g. Best before end May 2005.
Alternatively for products with a shelf life of over eighteen months, this indication may be in the form of a year only, e.g. Best Before End 2007.
The storage conditions which need to be observed for the food to keep until the date shown must also be marked.
Conditions Of Sale
Foods marked with a 'Use By' date must not be sold or displayed for sale after their marked dates It is an offence to sell or offer for sale food past its use by date. For example, use by 5 March means use by midnight on 5 March.
Foods marked with 'Best Before' or 'Best Before End' dates may be sold after their marked dates, provided that they remain of good quality and fit for human consumption. In these circumstances it is advisable to ensure that customers know that the date has expired before they make the decision to buy. Where a 'problem' is found with a packaged food past its marked date, this is usually the responsibility of the seller.