Sell-by date labels could have finally expired – but how does it affect us?

telegraph.co.uk:

I do and I think many other people do.’ He added, ‘There is an appraisal going on as to whether sell-by or eat-by dates are over-conservative.’He’s not talking about an end to use-by dates, which the Food Standards Agency says are vital to protect us from food poisoning, but the confusing melee of other dates that litter the labels on everything from tins of beans to tubs of butter: the likes of ‘sell by’, ‘expires on’, ‘eat by’, ‘display until’.

Marks & Spencer was the first to use such labels, introducing sell-by dates in the 1950s to help the shops rotate food, and although government guidance in 2011 recommended phasing them out, they’ve lingered on. ‘Use by’ and ‘best before’ are more significant.

EU law – to be retained here in the UK until new legislation is drafted – requires packaged food to carry a ‘date of minimum durability’, and ‘best before’ is most manufacturers’ choice for frozen, tinned and dried goods, and anything else with a long shelf life.

The food may still be safe once the date has passed, just not in peak condition. Except for eggs, food past its best-before date can still legally be sold. ‘Use by’ is designed for perishable food such as meat and dairy, which is deemed unsafe once the date has passed.