What Does the Best Before Date Really Mean?

By Sue Mah, MHSc, RD, PHEc, FDC

You’ve probably seen different kinds of dates on packaged foods. The most common ones are “best-before” dates, “packed on” dates and expiration dates. But what exactly do these all mean?

“Best-before” date

This date gives you information about the freshness and shelf-life of a product. If the product has been handled or stored properly, then the unopened product should still have its freshness, taste and nutritional value until this date.

Which foods must have a “best-before” date?

Foods must have a “best-before” date if they:

will stay fresh for 90 days or less, AND
are packaged at a place other than the retail store where they are sold.

Bread, milk, yogurt and eggs are examples of foods which must have a best-before date. If the food isn’t meant to be stored at room temperature, then the label must show the best-before date plus any special storage instructions such as “Keep refrigerated” or “Refrigerate after opening.”

By law in Canada, a best-before date is only required on packaged food products that have a shelf-life of 90 days or less. Foods that will last longer than 90 days (such as canned food, rice, pasta, dried beans, nuts and frozen food) don’t need a best-before date, but many food companies choose to put one on anyway.

What does the “best-before” date look like?

The “best-before” date is written as year-month-date OR as month-date. Here are a few examples:

Best before
23 JN 28
Meilleur avant

OR if the year is not needed for clarity:

Best before
June 28 juin
Meilleur avant

If storage instructions are needed:

Best before/Meilleur avant
JN 28
Keep refrigerated/Garder réfrigéré

Can I eat foods past their best-before date?

Best-before dates are based on the food’s freshness and quality, rather than the safety of the food. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, you can buy and eat foods after the best-before date has passed. However, keep in mind that after the best-before date, the food may lose some of its freshness, flavour and nutritional value, and /or its texture may change.

Does the “best-before” date apply to opened foods?

No. The best-before date only applies to unopened foods. Once a food product is opened, the moisture, light and air can change its flavours and cause the food to go bad. Use the chart below to see how long different foods will stay fresh once opened.

How long food will stay fresh once opened

FOOD OPENED	STORE IN REFRIGERATOR 4°C (40°F)	STORE IN PANTRY
Canned fruit	2-4 days	——
Canned vegetables	1-4 days	——
Canned fish	1-2 days	——
Deli meats	3-5 days	——
Dry cereal	——	2-3 months
Nut butters	3-4 months	2-3 months
Pasta sauce	4 days	——
Salad dressings	2-3 months	——

Do not keep opened or unfinished cans of food in the fridge. Instead, transfer the food from the can into a glass or plastic storage container. Tightly cover and refrigerate. If the food is left in the open can, off flavours may develop.

Sue’s tip to reduce food waste: When you buy canned foods, use the FIRST IN, FIRST OUT (FIFO) rule. Rotate the cans in your pantry so that the ones that you’ve put in first (with the closest best before date) are moved to the front to become the first ones you take out for use.

“Packaged on” date

This is the date that a food is placed for the first time in a package to be offered for sale.

Which foods must have a “packaged on” date?

Foods must have a “packaged on” date if they:

will stay fresh for 90 days or less, AND
are packaged at the retail store i.e. packaged at the same retail store where the food is being sold

Examples are pre-made sandwiches, salads, sushi, fresh juices and yogurt parfaits. For these foods, there must be:

a “packaged on” date plus the number of days that the product will keep its freshness OR
a “packaged on” date plus the best-before date OR
a best-before date with storage instructions

What does the “packaged on” date look like?

The “packaged on” date is written as year-month-date OR as month-date. There is also a “best-before” date or information about the number of days the product will keep its freshness. Here are some examples:

Packaged on/Empaqueté le
23 JN 28
Best if consumed within 5 days after the packaging date appearing on the label
/Meilleur si consommé dans les 5 jours suivant la date d’emballage sur l’étiquette.

Packaged on/Empaqueté le
June 28 juin
Best before/meilleur avant July 3 juillet

Expiration date

This is not the same as the best-before date. Expiration dates are not required on all foods.

Which foods must have an expiry date?

Only these specific foods need to have an expiration date:

Meal replacements (e.g. specially formulated foods and drinks that have enough nutrition to replace one or more daily meals)
Nutritional supplements (e.g. foods that act as a supplement to a diet that may be lacking in calories or essential nutrients)
Infant formulas
Formulated liquid diets (e.g. nutritionally complete diets for people using oral or tube feeding methods)
Foods which are used on a very low calorie diet (e.g. foods sold only be a pharmacist and with a written order from a doctor)

Can you eat foods past their expiration date?

No. After the expiration date, the food may not have the same nutrient content as what is listed on the label. Do not buy, sell or eat food that is past its expiration date. Foods that are past their expiration date should be thrown out.

Other dates / numbers on a food package

“Sell by” – “Prepared on” – “Freeze by” – “Manufactured on” – These are all voluntary date marking systems. The food manufacturer may put these terms on food packages as long as the terms are not misleading.

Lot code – Some product labels have a lot code. This is a number that is related to the manufacturing stage of the product only. It is not a best-before date or expiry date.

The bottom line: If a food will only stay fresh for 90 days or less, then the food MUST have either a “best-before” date or a “packaged on” date. Sometimes, the food will have both of these dates! Foods that last longer than 90 days often have a “best-before” date too. Use these dates to help you figure out the amount of time that the unopened food product will keep its quality and freshness. Buy only what you know you can consume to reduce food waste.