Do you know your ‘best before’ from your ‘sell by’? Your ‘display until’ from your ‘use by’? Our date label cheat sheet has everything you need to know.What do the different date labels mean?

Here's a not-so-fun fact: in the UK, 180,000 tonnes of food is wasted each year because of misunderstandings around date labels. 

So, do you your ‘best before’ from your ‘sell by’? Your ‘display until’ from your ‘use by’? Our date label cheat sheet has everything you need to get up to speed.

USE BY

Where you’ll see it: On food that goes off quickly - think fish, meat products, and salads-to-go.

What it means: Food will be unsafe to consume after this date.

Any exceptions? You can extend the life of use by food by freezing - although you must freeze it before the use by date passes.

BEST BEFORE

Where you’ll see it: On packaged foods such as frozen, tinned, or dried items.

What it means: Food may have lost some of its flavour or texture after this date.

What it doesn’t mean: Food will be unsafe to eat after this date. If the date has passed but the food still looks, smells, and tastes okay, you’re in the clear.

DISPLAY UNTIL OR SELL BY

Where you’ll see it: On all kinds of products

What it means: Nothing that concerns you

So why is it there? To help the staff in shops know how long products have been sitting on shelves. These labels aren’t required by law.