Does "best before" mean expired?

The two labels do different jobs

UK Food Standards Agency guidance draws the line clearly. "Use by" appears on perishable foods such as fresh meat, fish and ready meals; it is about safety, and food should not be eaten after it, however it looks or smells. "Best before" is about quality — the food may lose flavour or texture afterwards, but it is generally still safe to eat.

That distinction is the whole article. Confusing the two means throwing away perfectly good food on the strength of a date that was never making a safety claim.

Where the labels appear

Best before covers the majority of what is in a cupboard: tinned goods, dried pasta and rice, flour, crisps, biscuits, condiments, most frozen food. These are foods where the failure mode is staleness rather than danger.

Use by is reserved for the short list where bacterial growth is the real risk: fresh meat and poultry, fish, soft cheeses made from unpasteurised milk, prepared salads and ready meals. On these, take the date seriously.

A best before date also assumes the packet stayed sealed and stored as instructed. Once something is opened, the "once opened, use within" instruction on the pack supersedes the printed date.

The US labelling picture is messier

In the United States there is no single federal system for date labels on most foods, and infant formula is the notable exception that is federally regulated. Manufacturers use "best if used by", "sell by" and "use by" with meanings that vary by producer and by state.

"Sell by" is the one worth understanding, because it is aimed at the shop rather than at you. It tells the retailer how long to display the item and says nothing directly about how long it is good for at home.

USDA guidance is that, with the exception of infant formula, these dates are indicators of quality rather than safety, and that food stored properly can be safe and wholesome past the printed date.

How much this costs households

Date-label confusion is repeatedly identified as a meaningful driver of avoidable household waste, and it is one of the few causes that is genuinely a misunderstanding rather than a structural problem. Most food-waste causes come down to package sizes and unplanned weeks. This one comes down to two phrases doing different jobs and looking identical on a pack.

The practical rule: on a use-by date, obey it. On a best before date, look at the food, smell it, and use your judgement — knowing that the date itself is not the thing telling you it has gone bad.

Common questions

Can you eat food after the best before date?

Generally yes. Food Standards Agency guidance is that best before is about quality rather than safety, so food is usually still safe to eat afterwards, though it may have lost flavour or texture.

What is the difference between use by and sell by?

Use by is a safety date aimed at the consumer on perishable food. Sell by is aimed at the retailer, telling the shop how long to display the product, and is not a direct statement about how long it is good for at home.

Do eggs go off on their best before date?

Eggs carry a best before date, so it is a quality marker rather than a safety cut-off. USDA cold storage guidance puts raw eggs in the shell at 3 to 5 weeks in the refrigerator.