What do sell-by dates on my groceries REALLY mean and what’s the difference between use by and best before dates?
NO-ONE means to throw away food, but we've all been in the position when we realise too late that something's gone past its sell-by date.
This is doubtless part of the reason British households throw away £470 of food each year, although actually it's claimed that of the 7.3million tonnes that's binned 4.4million is avoidable.
What's the difference between use by, sell by and best before dates on food?
Part of the problem is the confusing way food is labelled. We have use by dates and best before dates, and that's before we've even got into sell by and display until stickers.
The whole thing can be very confusing, which is why we're detailing what the labels on your food really mean.
What does the "Use by" date mean?
This is the most important date because it is the one that's set in stone - don't eat things if the use by date has passed.
You tend to see these detailed on things which go off quickly, so that's fish and meat, which should be properly stored.
Even if the food smells and looks OK, it's best to be on the safe side and ditch it.
Things with use by dates usually need eating within three days of opening too.
The only way round the date is by freezing the item, which will extend it. But make sure you stick to the instructions on the packet when it comes to thawing out.
What does the "Best before" date mean?
These are tricky customers because most people don't understand what they mean.
Unlike use by, these dates are a guide to food quality NOT safety.
That means you can eat the food after the figure printed, but it might not be as tasty.
One item to be careful with is eggs.
They have a shelf life of 28 days, which means their best before date is always 28 days after they were laid.
It's best not to go over this date, as they can contain salmonella which makes people ill.
most read in food
Display until and sell by
These aren't as important as you probably think.
They are actually figures put on shelves by stores, and they're meant to help workers with their jobs.
It means they don't make any difference to shoppers, so you don't need to worry about them.
One of the best ways to cut down on food waste is to utilise your and freezer.
You can whack pretty much anything in there (even cheese!) and it extends the life of the product.
It's also fine to freeze right up until the use by date, so there's no need to sling things when you haven't used them.