Best Before vs Use By: What FSSAI Labels Really Mean

Best before vs use by is the label difference that decides whether a packet is a matter of taste or of safety. Under India’s food labelling rules, “best before” is about quality, while “use by” marks the end of the estimated safe period. So knowing which one you are looking at helps you waste less food and take fewer risks.

Best before vs use by: the rule text

The Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 define both terms. According to the published regulation text, the best before date marks the end of the period under stated storage conditions when the food stays fully marketable. Beyond it, the food may still be safe, though quality may have diminished.

However, the use by or expiry date is different. It marks the end of the estimated period under stated storage conditions. After it, the product may not remain safe, and it must not be sold or distributed for human consumption.

What every label must show

Regulation 5(10) sets the date rules. The date of manufacture or packaging, and the expiry or use by date, must be declared. Best before is optional or additional. Also, both dates must appear together in one place.

Then the format depends on shelf life. For products lasting up to three months, the date is shown as day, month and year. For longer shelf lives, the label shows month and year, with the month in capitals or at least its first three letters.

Special cases worth knowing

However, short shelf life foods are treated differently. For food with a shelf life of seven days or less, the date of manufacture may be left out, but the expiry or use by date is still required. Also, an assorted pack must show the shortest shelf life among the items inside.

Still, some items do not need an expiry date at all. The rules list unpeeled fresh fruit and vegetables, wine, alcoholic drinks of 10 percent alcohol or more, vinegar, boiled sugar sweets, solid sugars and chewing gum. Meanwhile, packed meals served on trains, aircraft and mobile catering units must show the date and time of manufacture.

How to use this at home

First, start with the type of food. Fresh, perishable items such as milk products and cooked foods deserve the stricter reading. Dry staples such as biscuits and cereals are usually about quality, so a short delay may only affect texture or taste.

Then look at storage. The date only holds if the pack was kept as the label says, and some products need different handling once opened. So if a label gives a post-opening storage note, follow it. When a pack looks swollen, smells off or has been stored badly, do not rely on the date.

Common mistakes

• Treating every date as safe for a few extra days. Use by dates are meant as a firm limit.
• Ignoring the storage line, which the dates depend on.
• Reading only the manufacture date. Always check the expiry or use by date as well.
• Buying loose or repacked items without a visible date.

If a shop sells a packed item with no date or an unclear one, you can check the seller through our guide to checking an FSSAI licence number.

FAQ

Is it safe to eat food after the best before date?

The regulation says food may still be safe after that date, though quality may have diminished. However, it depends on the food and how it was stored.

What is the difference between use by and expiry date?

In the 2020 regulations, the use by date and the expiry date are defined together. Both mark the end of the estimated period after which the product may not be safe.

Does every packaged food need an expiry date?

No. Instead, items such as unpeeled fresh fruit and vegetables, vinegar and chewing gum are listed as exceptions. Most other packed foods need a date.