The label that is never negotiable
A use-by date is a safety instruction. It applies to foods that can harbour harmful bacteria even when they smell and look fine — chilled meats, soft cheeses, ready-made meals, smoked fish and similar products. The date accounts for how these foods behave under normal refrigeration, and once it passes, the food is unsafe regardless of appearances.
Sniffing the packet is not a reliable test here. The microorganisms most likely to cause harm are often odourless and invisible at dangerous concentrations. The date exists precisely because our senses cannot do the job alone. Respect it.
The label that invites common sense
A best-before date is different. It indicates when a food is expected to be at its best for flavour, texture or appearance — not when it becomes dangerous. Dried pasta, tinned goods, biscuits, crisps, frozen vegetables, oats, honey, hard cheeses, rice: these carry best-before dates because they are shelf-stable, not because they pose a safety risk.
Past that date, quality may have dipped. The biscuit might be slightly soft, the dried herbs a little less fragrant, the frozen peas a touch less sweet. Taste it, look at it, smell it. If it seems fine and you are happy to eat it, that is a reasonable decision. Selling food past its best-before date is legal in the UK; eating it is a matter of judgement, not danger.
This is where enormous quantities of food are wasted unnecessarily — cupboards cleared on the stamped date rather than on the evidence of the food itself. A jar of good jam, a bag of lentils, a block of dark chocolate do not turn treacherous at midnight on a printed date. They may simply not be quite as good as they once were.
Why the confusion costs us so much
The two labels look similar. Both carry a date; neither always explains itself. Many people treat best-before as a use-by, discarding food that is perfectly sound. UK food guidance is clear on the distinction, but it rarely reaches people at the moment they are standing over a bin.
The single most waste-reducing fact is this: use-by is about safety; best-before is about quality. Once that is fixed in mind, every other decision follows. You check the use-by on fresh meat before you buy it. You trust your senses with a best-before on a tin of tomatoes.
Edge cases worth knowing
Some foods complicate the picture. Eggs carry a best-before rather than a use-by, but the guidance is to cook them thoroughly once past that date rather than using them raw — a sensible middle ground. Milk can be frozen before its use-by if you know you will not use it in time, which changes what that date means in practice.
Hard cheeses develop mould differently from soft cheeses. A spot on a firm cheddar can usually be cut away safely; the same is not true for a soft-rinded cheese. For anything where you are genuinely uncertain — a product that bridges categories, or one stored in unusual conditions — consult the Food Standards Agency website for authoritative guidance rather than guessing.
Reading the label in the shop
Best-before dates are also useful when buying. A packet of charcuterie with a generous best-before remaining can often be frozen at home; a sourdough loaf with a day or two left is better bought from a bakery that bakes daily. Knowing what the label measures helps you shop with more intention and waste less by the end of the week.
For perishables with a use-by, choosing the one with the furthest date makes sense if you are not eating it immediately — but that date is a ceiling, not a rough guide. Store it correctly, follow any on-pack refrigeration instructions, and treat the date as firm.
