You’re standing in front of your fridge, yogurt in hand. The date says yesterday. Do you throw it away? Do you eat it? Millions of people face this dilemma every day. And in the vast majority of cases, the product is still perfectly safe to eat.
The confusion between the two types of expiry dates is one of the leading causes of food waste. Understanding the difference between use-by and best-before dates can save you hundreds of dollars a year while reducing your environmental impact.
Use-By Date: The Strict Deadline
What the label says
The use-by date is identified by the words “Use by…” followed by a specific date (day/month, or day/month/year).
What it really means
The use-by date is a mandatory date. It applies to perishable foods that can pose a health risk after this date. Once past this deadline, pathogenic bacteria (Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli) can develop to dangerous levels, even if the product looks and smells perfectly fine.
Products with use-by dates
- Fresh meat and poultry (steaks, cutlets, chicken)
- Fresh fish and seafood
- Deli meats (sliced or vacuum-packed)
- Fresh dairy products (fresh milk, cream, fresh cheese)
- Chilled ready meals (salads, sandwiches, deli items)
- Fresh fruit juices (from the chilled section)
- Eggs (though the date is often a recommended consumption date)
The golden rule
Never consume a product past its use-by date. The health risk is real, even if the product appears normal. Bacteria responsible for food poisoning are often invisible and odorless.
A product past its use-by date can no longer legally be sold, even if it appears intact.
Best-Before Date: A Quality Guideline
What the label says
The best-before date is identified by the words “Best before…” or its variant “Best before end…” (when only the month and year are indicated).
What it really means
The best-before date is an indicative date. It guarantees that the product retains all its organoleptic qualities (taste, texture, color, nutritional value) until this date. After that? The product may lose a bit of flavor or crunch, but it poses no health risk.
Products with best-before dates
- Canned goods (tin cans, jars)
- Dry pasta, rice, cereals
- Dry biscuits and cookies
- Chocolate
- Coffee and tea
- Oils
- Spices and condiments
- Frozen products
- UHT milk
- Honey (which technically never expires)
How long after the best-before date can you still eat it?
There’s no absolute rule, but here are some practical guidelines:
| Product | Edible after best-before | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Canned goods (metal) | Several years | Can not bulging or rusted |
| Canned goods (glass jars) | 1 to 3 years | Lid not swollen, seal intact |
| Dry pasta | 1 to 2 years | Sealed package, stored dry |
| Rice | 1 to 2 years | Away from moisture |
| Dry biscuits | 2 to 6 months | May soften (still edible) |
| Dark chocolate | 1 to 2 years | May develop bloom (harmless) |
| Milk chocolate | 6 months to 1 year | More sensitive to fat |
| Ground coffee | 3 to 6 months | Gradual loss of aroma |
| Coffee beans | 6 months to 1 year | Keeps better than ground |
| Tea | 1 to 3 years | Loss of flavor only |
| Ground spices | 1 to 2 years | Loss of aromatic intensity |
| Whole spices | 2 to 4 years | Keep better whole |
| Honey | Indefinitely | May crystallize (warm in water bath) |
| Olive oil | 6 months to 1 year | May go rancid (check the smell) |
| Frozen foods | 2 to 6 months | Quality decreases, safety maintained |
| UHT milk | 2 to 3 months | Unopened only |
| Flour | 6 months to 1 year | Dry, away from insects |
| Sugar | Indefinitely | May harden but remains fine |
| Vinegar | Indefinitely | Natural preservative |
Chocolate bloom (white coating on the surface) is not a sign of spoilage. It’s simply the cocoa butter crystallizing on the surface. The product is still perfectly edible.
Yogurt: Use-By or Best-Before?
The yogurt case is one of the most debated when it comes to expiry dates. Technically, yogurts carry a use-by date because they are fresh dairy products. However, their behavior after the date is more similar to a best-before product.
Plain yogurt: the most resilient
An unopened plain yogurt, properly stored in the fridge (between 0 and 6 degrees C), remains safe to eat 1 to 3 weeks after its use-by date. Why? Because the lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) continue producing lactic acid, maintaining a low pH that’s unfavorable to pathogenic bacteria.
Flavored and fruit yogurt: more caution needed
Flavored or fruit yogurts contain sugar and fruit pieces that can promote the growth of yeasts and molds. For these products, limit yourself to 1 week maximum after the use-by date.
Cottage cheese and fromage frais
Cottage cheese and similar fresh cheeses follow the same rules as plain yogurt. An unopened container keeps easily 1 to 2 weeks after the date, as long as the cold chain is maintained.
What the authorities say
In 2021, France relaxed its position on donating expired yogurts. Charities can now distribute yogurts up to 10 days after the use-by date, under certain storage conditions. This is a strong signal: if health authorities deem these products safe for the most vulnerable, they are certainly safe for the general public.
Warning signs to watch for
Before consuming a yogurt after the date, always check:
- The lid: if it’s swollen, discard the yogurt without hesitation
- The smell: a strong sour or unusual odor is a bad sign
- The texture: liquid on top (whey) is normal, but a slimy texture or lumps are not
- The color: any color change (pink, green spots) indicates contamination
Use-By vs Best-Before: The Summary
Here’s a comparison table so you never confuse them again:
| Criteria | Use-By | Best-Before |
|---|---|---|
| Label wording | ”Use by…" | "Best before…” |
| Type of date | Mandatory (strict) | Indicative (recommendation) |
| Risk after date | Health (dangerous bacteria) | Quality (taste, texture, color) |
| Products concerned | Meat, fresh dairy, chilled meals | Canned goods, pasta, biscuits, frozen |
| Eating after date | Not recommended | Safe to eat |
| Selling after date | Prohibited | Allowed (with information) |
| Date format | Day/month or day/month/year | Month/year or “end month/year” |
How to Read a Label Correctly
Visual clues
First, look for the exact wording:
- “Use by” = mandatory date = strict = caution
- “Best before” = indicative date = guideline = no panic
The date format
The format also gives you a clue about the product’s shelf life:
- Day/month: very perishable product (short use-by, a few days)
- Day/month/year: perishable product (use-by of a few weeks)
- Month/year or “end month/year”: long-life product (best-before)
Pay attention to storage conditions
The date is only valid if the storage conditions listed on the packaging are respected. A product that says “Store between 0 and 4 degrees C” that has been left on the counter for two hours can become dangerous well before its use-by date.
What the Law Says
European regulations
Expiry dates are governed by EU Regulation No. 1169/2011 (the FIC Regulation) which harmonizes consumer information across the European Union.
France’s pioneering legislation
France is a pioneer in the fight against food waste. The Garot Law of 2016 prohibits supermarkets over 400 sqm from throwing away edible food. They must donate it to charitable organizations.
The AGEC Law (2020)
The Anti-Waste for a Circular Economy Law goes further:
- Extension of the donation obligation to wholesale and food service
- Encouragement of using best-before dates rather than use-by dates when possible
- Target of a 50% reduction in food waste by 2025 (compared to 2015)
Toward removing dates on some products?
Several European retailers are experimenting with removing best-before dates on products like pasta, rice or canned goods. The idea: if a product poses no health risk after the date, why have one? This trend could become widespread in the coming years.
Good Habits for Every Day
Before shopping
- Check the dates in the store before putting items in your cart
- Choose the longest date if you don’t plan to consume quickly
- Only pick short-dated products if you’ll consume them that day or the next
At home
- Sort by date: products closest to expiry go in front
- Maintain the cold chain: put your groceries away within 30 minutes of purchase
- Check visually before discarding a product past its best-before date: appearance, smell, texture
Proper fridge organization plays a huge role in keeping track of dates. Learn how to set up your fridge optimally with our zone-by-zone anti-waste guide to organizing your fridge.
Signs that don’t lie
Regardless of the type of date, throw away a product if:
- The packaging is swollen (a sign of bacterial fermentation)
- The product has an unusual smell
- You see mold (except for blue cheeses, obviously)
- The color has changed significantly
- The texture is slimy or sticky
Use Technology to Never Forget
The biggest challenge isn’t understanding the dates, but remembering them. How many times have you found a forgotten product at the back of the fridge, expired for days?
That’s exactly the problem SauveTonPain solves: by scanning your product dates with your smartphone, you receive an alert before they expire. No more digging through the fridge to figure out what needs to be eaten first.
And when a product is past its best-before date, don’t rush to throw it away — it might still be the star ingredient for a great meal. Discover our 10 easy zero-waste recipes using leftovers for creative ways to use up food before it’s truly lost. If bread is the item you struggle with most, our guide on how to keep bread fresh longer can help you extend its life by days.
Remembering the difference between use-by and best-before dates is a small effort that can prevent you from throwing away dozens of kilograms of food each year. Next time you hesitate in front of a product, ask yourself the right question: use-by or best-before?
