Food expiration dates

Regulations on labeling of shelf life information on food products vary from country to country. Open dating is found primarily on perishable foods such as meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products. Coded dating might appear on shelf-stable products such as cans and boxes of food.

Many package foods, particularly the more perishable ones, come with an expiration date. The expiration date represents the food scientist’s best guess on how long a food will last before it spoils.

Certain products that will ‘expire’ such as baking powder, yeast packages, and refrigerated doughs, need to show expiration dates to let consumers known whether they are still capable of making baked products rise.

Use by dates are usually place in foods that go bad quickly, such as milk, soft cheese, ready-prepare salads, and smoke fish.

Best before dates are usually used on foods that last longer such as frozen, dried or canned foods. It should be safe to eat after the best before date, but the food will no longer be at its best. After this date, the food might begin to lose its sensory quality.
Food expiration dates