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FAQ's

What is the difference between ‘use-by’ and ‘Best before' dates.

All food with a shelf life of less than 2 years must be date marked.

Used-by or Expire date

It is illegal to sell foods after its ‘use by’ or ‘expire date’.

Any food passed its ‘use-by’ or ‘expire date’ must be thrown away even if it looks fine. It may be unsafe to eat due to nutrients that may become unstable or a bacteria build-up that may occur.

Best Before date

Foods can legally be sold after its ‘best before’ date.

Foods are still safe to eat after the ‘best before’ date as long as they are not:

  • Damaged
  • Deteriorated
  • Perished

The ‘best before’ date simply indicates that the product may lose some of its quality after this date passes.

For more info please visit http://www.health.qld.gov.au/foodsafety/documents/fs-15-useby.pdf