It is important to understand ‘best before’ and ‘use-by’ dates on food labels and how you must treat them differently.
The Best Before date, sometimes shown as BBE (best before end), is about quality and not safety. Other foods have a Use By date. That food either needs to be eaten before that date, or frozen if it’s freezable (we save whatever we can when we receive this kind of food).
After the Best Before date listed on a product, the food will be safe to eat but may not be at its best. Best Before dates appear on a wide range of foods including:
- frozen foods (such as peas, chips and ice cream)
- dried foods (such as pasta and rice)
- tinned foods (such as baked beans and canned tomatoes)
Please read this information in full to ensure you’re up to date with the latest safety guides.