How do you manage food dates and shelf life?

The date on a label does not say the same thing on every product. The labelling regulation defines two separate statements: the use-by date is the last date on which foods that spoil easily from a microbiological standpoint can be consumed; the best-before date shows the period over which the food keeps its own characteristics when it is stored appropriately. One is a safety limit, the other a quality expectation.

Below we look at which statement is written on which product, what the regulation says when the date has passed, what condition the date depends on, what changes after the packaging is opened and how to set up the stock order at home.

Which one is written on which product

Neither the seller nor the buyer chooses this; Article 27 of the regulation sets it. On foods that spoil easily from a microbiological standpoint and are likely to pose a danger to human health after a short time, the use-by date is stated; on other foods, the best-before date.

In practice this means you know which statement to look for before you even look at the product. On the meat, milk, yogurt, cheese and fish side the statement to look for is the use-by date; on the dry pulses, pasta and canned goods side it is the best-before date.

The same article covers a third date as well: the date of freezing. So the date statement on a package answers a different question depending on which product it is.

What happens when the date has passed

The regulation writes a consequence for only one statement: foods whose use-by date has passed are considered unsafe food under the relevant article of Law no. 5996. In this group, hesitation is not a matter of judgment.

The same provision is not written for the best-before date. This does not mean that every product past its date is fine; it only shows that the two statements say different things. We covered the distinction itself briefly in this tip.

The date depends on a condition

There is a conditional clause in the definition of the best-before date: when it is stored appropriately. So the date on its own is not a promise but an expectation that holds as long as the storage condition is met.

This is why the regulation counts special storage and use conditions as separate mandatory information. Reading the storage line right next to it while you read the date on the label is part of interpreting the date correctly.

After the packaging is opened

The date on an unopened package does not carry the same meaning after it is opened. The regulation asks that, where necessary, the storage conditions after the package is opened and the time limit for consumption be stated separately.

This line is not on every product. When it is not there, instead of counting the opened product as if it were on its first day, you have to move to your own storage conditions and to checking with your senses.

Where shelf life actually runs out

A product's shelf life runs out not on the shelf but in the cupboard at home. The guideline gives storage temperatures group by group: milk and dairy products 4-6 degrees Celsius, red meat and poultry 0-4 degrees Celsius, ground meat 0-2 degrees Celsius, fresh fish 0-4 degrees Celsius, frozen products minus 18 degrees Celsius and below.

For products with no temperature recommendation the criterion is different: a dry, well-ventilated place protected from sunlight and heat sources. Where the dry cupboard is can matter more than the date written on the product.

There is a separate rule for cooked food: if it is not going to be served right away, it should be cooled and put in the refrigerator within two hours at most. We covered how many days it keeps in the fridge in this kitchen note.

The stock order at home

The guideline's storage principle is summed up in one sentence: first in, first out. Putting the newly bought product at the back and the older one at the front works more reliably than trying to remember the date.

Once this order is set up, checking dates turns into a routine. Pulling the fridge and the pantry forward now and then takes less effort than finding a forgotten jar after its date has passed.

What to look at when buying

The guideline says not to buy unpackaged foods or products whose packaging is torn or damaged. The integrity of the packaging is the first condition that determines whether the date on it still holds.

For foods sold after being taken out of their original packaging, the label information must always be asked for; allergen content, use-by date and business details are included in this. We covered how to read the whole label in this guide.

The line between waste and safety

Separating the two statements reduces both needless waste and needless risk. Taking the quality limit for the safety limit leads to throwing away a full pack, and the reverse leads to the opposite.

The line is clear: in the easily spoiled group the date is a limit, in the others it is an expectation, and that expectation depends on the storage condition. We covered what to look at on a packaged product in this guide.