While some foods are best turfed out after their use-by date, other pantry and fridge staples may be fine to eat if their best-before date has been and gone.

Date labels on food packaging are a source of confusion and contention for many.
A recent RMIT study showed that one-third of all food purchased in Australia is discarded, with many participants calling the labelling “confusing.”

In today’s day and age where we’re all trying to do our bit for the planet, throwing away food unnecessarily really pulls at the heartstrings – so I get trying to push the boundaries on date labels a little.

After all, if food looks and smells fine, why shouldn’t you be able to eat it?

Truth is, however, there’s a very good reason packaged foods have date labels on them – and it’s wise to follow suit, at least some of the time. To set the record straight, here’s what you need to know about date labels. 

Use-by VS best-before dates

You’ll find two kinds of date labels on food: best-before or use-by. While they’re often used interchangeably, they mean two very different things… so pay attention. 

USE BY: Foods that must be eaten before a certain date for health or safety reasons should be marked with a use-by date. You shouldn’t eat foods after the use-by date, and they can’t legally be sold after this date because they could pose a health or safety risk.

Use-by dates are there for your safety and should be followed stringently. When food is past its use-by date, it means there’s a risk that consuming it will make you sick. Even if you think there’s nothing wrong with the food in question (read: it looks fine, smells fine and that little nibble you had tasted fine), food poisoning bacteria can still be lurking – so you shouldn’t feed it to yourself, your family or even your four-legged friends. In Australia, it’s illegal to sell food past its use-by date. 

BEST BEFORE: It’s still safe to consume foods and drinks for a while after the best-before date, but they may have lost some quality. Foods that have a best-before date can legally be sold after that date, provided the food is fit for human consumption.

Best-before dates are more concerned with quality and are far more flexible. Storing food properly according to the instructions on the packet may mean it lasts even longer than the best-before date indicates. Obviously, it’s important to use common sense, but if a food shows no signs of spoilage and is past its best-before date, it probably won’t harm you if you eat it – but the catch is that it might have deteriorated in taste, texture or nutritional quality. 

10 foods to throw out past their use-by date

To help get your head around date labels, here are 10 common foods that will have a use-by date and should not be consumed thereafter: 

• Fish
• Prawns
• Red meat
• Poultry 
• Milk
• Ready-to-eat salads
• Ready-made refrigerated meals
• Deli meats like ham or salami
• Store-bought dips
• Bagged salad leaves

10 foods that are OK to use after their best-before date

On the other hand, here are 10 foods that may be OK to eat if their best-before date has been and gone:

• Weet Bix
• Tomato sauce
• Eggs
• Frozen peas and corn
• Peanut butter
• Tinned legumes
• Nuts
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Ricotta cheese
• Fresh fruit and vegetables 

Melissa Meier is a Sydney-based Accredited Practising Dietitian. You can connect with her on Instagram @honest_nutrition. 

This article was originally published on bodyandsoul.com.au. It has been reproduced here with permission. 

Related story: Does tomato sauce belong in the fridge or pantry? We have the answer