EDUCATIONtrust your senses
Products past their Best Before dates can still be good to eat if unopened and stored properly. Trust your senses to avoid unnecessary food waste and help the planet.
TRUST YOUR SENSESLook, Smell and Taste before you waste
Best Before dates indicate when food and drink items will be at their peak freshness. If stored properly and unopened, you can consume your food and drinks items after this date. Simply Look, Smell and Taste to assess if it's still okay to consume.
trust your sensesA SIMPLE WAY TO AVOID FOOD WASTE
Confusion from date labels means that food with a Best Before date is often wasted unnecessarily. In fact, nearly 20% of Aussies are unsure of the meaning of the different date labels, (Source: Fight Food Waste CRC, 2020). Understanding the difference between date labels will help you avoid CO2e emissions caused by food waste at home.
trust your sensesBest Before, Often Good After
A Best Before date is a quality indicator - your food is at its peak freshness or ‘Best’ until that date if it was stored properly and unopened. On the other hand, Use By dates indicate food safety and don’t have any flexibility. Products with a Use By date should be consumed or frozen on or before the Use By date on the package. By understanding the difference between these two dates you can make the most of your food at home - reducing your food waste AND making the most of what you buy.
trust your sensesHow to store Best Before products
Most food with a Best Before date will need to be stored unopened in a cool and dry place to maintain its freshness. Follow the storage instructions on the back of your food or drink to ensure you’re storing things properly.
trust your sensesWhat to do with food after its Best Before?
Many products are actually still good, even after their Best Before date, if stored properly. So trust your senses:
1. Look for any signs of mould or spoilage
2. Smell - if it smells sour or off it’s no longer okay to eat
3. Finally, Taste a small amount - if you still like the taste it’s fine to enjoy
Trusting your senses helps avoid unnecessary food waste and makes a real difference for the planet.
