Use by or Best before | What’s the difference?

Can you still eat yogurt after the date has passed? Why does a packet of ground beef say use by, while a pack of pasta only says best before? The question matters, because it’s not only about taste and quality – it’s ultimately about food safety.

To clarify the issue, we spoke with home economics teacher, food hygiene trainer, and hygiene passport examiner Anja Pouttu from Hygienepassport.fi.

Why do date labels exist?

By law, food manufacturers must include a freshness date on packaging, which tells consumers how long the product is safe to eat or at its best. Date labels help protect consumers and ensure that the food quality matches the manufacturer’s promise.

It’s important to remember: these labels are not meaningless bureaucracy, they are directly connected to food safety.

Use by

Microbiologically perishable foods are labeled with a use by date. These include particularly animal-based raw ingredients such as fresh meat, ground beef, fish, raw milk, fresh cheeses, and sushi.

"These products can spoil quickly and pose a real health risk. After the use by date they must not be sold, used in cooking, or even donated,” Pouttu emphasizes.

She reminds us that use by is not a flexible guideline, but a strict boundary. Products must not be consumed beyond that date, not even if cooked, because the microbiological risk does not disappear during food preparation.

This rule also applies to food waste reduction efforts: unlike best before products, items past their use by date cannot be donated to charity.

Pouttu also points out a detail often forgotten in everyday life: foods should not be frozen on their use by date.

"Freezing and later thawing always reduces the microbiological quality of food. For example, raw ground beef should not be frozen on the use by date. Instead, you can cook it for instance by browning it in a pan and then freeze it as cooked meat for later use,” she clarifies.

With milk, the method of processing determines the label. Pasteurized milk gets a best before date, because pasteurization destroys most microbes, though it still requires refrigeration. Ultra-heat-treated (UHT) milk lasts even longer, as the process kills all microbes and spores, which is why it also carries a best before label.

Best before

A best before date indicates how long a product retains its best sensory qualities, such as taste, texture, and aroma. Unlike use by, it is not an absolute limit but rather the manufacturer’s guarantee of quality.

Products with this label include eggs, fermented dairy products like yogurt, aged cheeses, bread, and many dry goods such as pasta, rice, and flour. The manufacturer has tested and set the date within which the product maintains its typical characteristics. After this date, the product can still be used and sold, as long as its quality has not deteriorated.

Many stores sell products past their best before date at a discounted price, but consumers must always be informed of the date overrun. This practice also helps reduce food waste.

“The manufacturer determines the best before date, but actual edibility can often extend well beyond that. That’s why it’s important for consumers to learn to use their senses when evaluating food,” Pouttu explains.

The labeling format depends on the product’s shelf life:

• day and month if the shelf life is up to 3 months
• month and year if the shelf life is 3–18 months
• year only if the shelf life exceeds 18 months

This guidance helps consumers understand how long the product will remain at its best according to the manufacturer.

How to assess if food is still edible?

Once a product has passed its best before date, its usability should be judged with sensory evaluation: by looking, smelling, and tasting.

"For example, you can crack an egg into a separate bowl to check if the smell and texture are normal. If the packaging is bulging or the odor is unpleasant, the product should not be used,” Pouttu advises.

It’s also important to consider who will be eating the food. A healthy adult may safely consume some items after the best before date, but special caution is needed with risk groups like children, the elderly, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals.

This caution relates particularly to Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium commonly found in the environment. It can occur in raw fish, unpasteurized dairy products, and even frozen vegetables. Listeriosis, the illness caused by listeria, can be very serious for vulnerable groups. The longer food is stored, the more opportunity bacteria have to multiply. For this reason, people in risk groups should consume ready-to-eat foods well before the best before date.

However, date labels do not mean food should constantly be thrown away. Smart planning and shopping ahead of time help prevent waste. Monitoring freshness dates before cooking ensures fewer situations where food must be discarded. As Pouttu points out, planning ahead is the most effective way to balance safety with reducing food waste.

No leeway in professional kitchens

At home, it may be acceptable to use best before products past their date with careful evaluation, but professional kitchens follow stricter rules.

“In professional kitchens, the quality of ingredients must always be first class. No questionable raw material can be used, as food safety is one of the cornerstones of food law,” Pouttu stresses.

This means that expired products should not be used, even if they still appear good. The manufacturer has set the best before date, and this can vary between producers. After that point, it becomes difficult, essentially impossible, to assign a new reliable freshness date.

"When the manufacturer sets the date, they also guarantee safety up to that point. Afterward, you can no longer be sure the product meets all quality requirements or that it won’t pose a risk to diners. This is particularly crucial for risk groups,” she explains.

Customers must be able to trust that food served in restaurants or large-scale catering is safe without exception. That is why there is no room for compromise in professional kitchens: ingredients must always be top quality and within their official date limits.

A simple rule of thumb for date labels

Use by = safety limit. Do not consume the product after this date.

Best before = quality guideline. The product may still be fine if it looks, smells, and tastes normal.

In professional kitchens, only the best is acceptable. Expired products should never be used.