An expired best-before date does not necessarily mean that the product is „bad“.
What is the difference between „best before“ and „use by“?
10% of food waste in the EU is due to consumers not understanding the dates correctly.
Source: EFSA (Safe2Eat, 2025)
„Best before…“
or best-before date indicates the use-by (sale) date of a food product. Once this date has passed, the product is not normally harmful to health, but some of its properties, such as taste, colour and texture, may be altered.
Tip:
If the use-by date has passed, examine the product carefully, smell it and taste it. If the aroma, smell and consistency are still fine, there is no health risk. You can consume the product as normal. However, if in doubt, throw it away.
Source: Love Food, Hate Waste
„Use by…“
Or UBD (Use By Date) indicates the date by which a perishable food product should be consumed from a microbiological point of view. Once this use-by date has expired, consuming the food may pose a health risk. This applies in particular to fresh and easily perishable foods, such as meat and fish.
TIPS AND TRICKS
Eggs also have a minimum durability date (MDD). There is a simple trick to check whether an egg is still fresh after this date. Carefully place the egg in a small bowl filled with water. If the egg floats, you should not consume it. However, if it sinks to the bottom, it is still fresh.
Source: COPIDEC brochure, „Stop food waste – Lots of ideas to save money!“, June 2023
Here is a list showing how long food remains edible after the best-before date:
8 foods, 9 months, the Greenpeace Austria shelf life check
The text in English: 8 foods, 9 months, the Greenpeace shelf life check
Checked products: Eggs, salami, yoghurt, cake, cheese, soy yoghurt, smoked tofu, sesame dip
(MHD) – best before date, +3 months, +6 months, +9 months (Source: Greenpeace Austria)