Best before, use by and best by dates

What official guidance says

Food date labels can look similar but the safest next step depends on the country and the exact words beside the date. In the UK, use-by dates relate to food safety while best-before dates relate to quality. In the US, the federal agencies describe most package dates as quality or stock-management information rather than nationally standardised safety deadlines.^{[1] [3] [4]}

UK: use-by dates are food-safety dates

GOV.UK says a use-by date tells you when food is no longer safe to eat. These dates are used on food that can go off quickly, including meat products and ready-to-eat salads. Storage instructions are part of the safety advice because food can become unsafe before the date if it has not been stored correctly.^[1]

The practical rule is clear: eat food on its use-by date but not after it. Do not rely on a sniff test, appearance or taste to decide whether a UK use-by food is safe. Food Standards Scotland says harmful bugs may be present even when food looks and smells normal.^[2]

If you will not use a UK use-by food in time, cook or freeze it on or before the date. GOV.UK says food cooked before its use-by date should be cooled, kept in the fridge and eaten within 48 hours or frozen. Food frozen before the date should be used within 24 hours once defrosted. Follow any more specific storage or defrosting instruction on the package.^[1]

UK: best-before dates are quality dates

A UK best-before date, sometimes shown as best before end, tells you when food may start to reduce in quality. It is common on foods such as frozen, dried and tinned products and some cheeses. When food has been stored correctly, it is usually safe after the best-before date but may no longer be at its best for flavour, texture or appearance.^[1]

This is the category where sensible quality checks can help. GOV.UK gives examples such as looking for mould on bread, checking whether biscuits have become stale or noticing whether a dairy product has soured. Packaging damage, poor storage and visible spoilage still matter.^[1]

US: most package dates are not national safety deadlines

USDA FSIS and FDA say that, except for infant formula, federal rules do not require quality-based package dates. There is no single, universally accepted set of descriptions for calendar dates. You may see best by, best if used by, sell by, use by or other wording.^{[3] [4]}

USDA describes Best if Used By as a date for best flavour or quality, not a purchase or safety date. It describes Sell-By as an inventory-management date for the store. A Use-By date is normally the last date recommended for peak quality, not a safety date. FDA and USDA both encourage the voluntary phrase Best if Used By to make the quality purpose clearer.^{[3] [4]}

That does not mean every food past a US date is suitable to eat. Proper storage and handling still matter. The date wording alone often does not answer the safety question for US foods, so follow the package directions and look for signs of spoilage where the label is a quality date.^{[3] [4]}

The US exception: infant formula

Infant formula is different. FDA requires a use-by date on each container. The date relates to the formula meeting its declared nutrient amounts and acceptable quality. Do not use infant formula after its use-by date.^{[3] [5]}

Why the UK and US advice differs

The key difference is the purpose given to the words use by. UK guidance uses a use-by date as a clear safety boundary for foods that may become unsafe quickly. US federal guidance describes most use-by dates as quality dates while acknowledging that date-label wording is not nationally uniform.^{[1] [3]}

State and product-specific rules can also apply in the US. This guide does not replace package instructions, manufacturer advice or an official notice about a specific product.

Practical conclusion

In the UK: if the package says use by, eat, cook or freeze the food on or before that date. If it says best before, check that the food has been stored properly and make a sensible quality assessment.

In the US: treat best by, best if used by, sell by and most use-by labels as quality or store-stock information rather than an automatic national safety deadline. Follow storage directions and check for clear signs of spoilage. Do not apply that general rule to infant formula.^{[3] [4]}

If you are checking a recalled product, the date may help identify the package but it does not confirm whether your item is affected. Compare the product name, lot code, batch code, barcode and date with the official notice. You can search current recalls on RecallBite.

Who should be especially cautious?

Take extra care with foods that need refrigeration, ready-to-eat chilled foods and any product with an uncertain storage history. A quality date cannot make up for food that has been left warm for too long or stored against the package instructions. For infants, follow the formula label and do not use formula after its use-by date.^{[1] [5]}