Best before
From ArticleWorld
The best before date, usually found on food and drinks, is the date by which the supplier intended it to be consumed. The term, use by, is also commonly used. Foods that have a best before date are usually safe to eat after the date has passed, but they are likely to have deteriorated in flavor, texture, or nutrition. An important exception is eggs, which should never be eaten after the best before date, due to the possible presence of salmonella bacteria.
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Freshness dates
While the food and beverage industries generally refer to this as the ‘’best before’’ date, a freshness date is used, by the United States beer industry. This date indicates the date the beer was bottled, or the date before which it should be consumed. Beer is not legally mandated to carry this date, but it is perishable.
Use by dates
As a rule, foods that have a use by date, should not be consumed after that date has passes. Foods with this type of date are often things that spoil quickly. Care must be taken to store these foods properly as well.
Sell by dates
Sell by, or display until, dates are intended to help deep track of inventory in stores. Food or drinks will often have two dates on them. If it is after the sell by date, but before the use by or best before date, should still be edible. Most large stores discard these items, or return them for credit.
Mandatory labeling
Because of past scandals involving deceptive labeling, countries like the United States and Canada require most processed foods to have a Nutrition Facts table on the label. The table's formatting and content must conform to strict guidelines.