Food Safety in the Home
As part of Food Safety Week the Food and Drink Federation is highlighting the importance of reading labels
to ensure the food you are eating is safe.
The key is to examine the 'Use By' and 'Best Before' dates on packs. It is
important to recognise that these are used on foods with different storage
requirements:
- 'Use By' dates are used on highly perishable foods which 'go off' quite
quickly. No-one likes to waste food but it can be dangerous to eat foods past
their
'Use By' date.
- 'Best before' dates are for foods with a longer life. They indicate how long
the food will be at its best quality.
Other labels that are sometimes put on food products are 'Sell By' and 'Display
Until' dates. These are generally put on products by supermarkets for stock
rotation purposes, and should not be confused with 'Use By' and 'Best Before'
dates,
which are to inform consumers about the shelf life of products and the safe
period within which a product should be eaten.
More Information
Last reviewed: 06 May 2008