Out-of-date food: our advice

A significant share of the food produced is lost or wasted before it's even eaten. Date labels play a significant role in this, often because they're misunderstood or interpreted too strictly.

'Use by' and 'best before': understanding what the dates really mean

The 'use by' date applies to highly perishable foods. It indicates a limit beyond which a health risk can no longer be ruled out. It appears in particular on fresh meat, fish or sensitive products. To be safe, these products shouldn't be eaten after the date shown.

The 'best before' date is different. It's an indication of quality, not safety. After this date, a product may lose flavour, texture or intensity, without necessarily becoming dangerous to health if it has been stored correctly.

This distinction is essential, because a large proportion of products thrown away actually fall under 'best before', not 'use by'.

Out-of-date foods to eat with particular care

Some foods require strict attention and shouldn't be eaten after their use-by date. This is particularly the case for fresh animal products like meat or fish, for which the cold chain and storage conditions play a decisive role. If there's any unusual smell, texture or appearance, it's best not to take the risk.

Eggs are also among the sensitive foods. Whether they can be eaten after the date depends heavily on their freshness and storage. Methods exist, such as the float test in water, but they don't replace a cautious approach.

Fresh dairy products, such as yoghurts or some creams, can sometimes be eaten a few days after the date shown when they've been stored correctly. However, any change in texture or smell should prompt caution.

Out-of-date foods still edible after the best-before date

Many products carry a best-before date and can remain edible beyond the date shown, under normal storage conditions.

This is particularly the case for certain dry goods such as pasta, rice, pulses or flour, which keep for long periods as long as they're protected from moisture.

Tinned and jarred foods are also among the most stable products, provided their packaging is intact and undamaged.

Chocolate can change in appearance over time, notably developing a slight white bloom on the surface, but this is more a change in appearance than a health hazard.

Some hard cheeses can also keep longer than their indicative date, depending on their maturing and storage, even if their flavour may change.

Frozen foods are a special case. They don't go off in the strict use-by sense, but their quality can decline over time. Prolonged storage remains possible if the cold chain has been maintained, even if recommendations vary by food.

Foods with no real strict expiry date

Some products are known for their great stability when kept in good conditions.

Honey, sugar, salt, vinegar and certain spices are among the foods with an extremely long shelf life, with no notable health deterioration in home use.

Their stability rests on their very composition, which naturally limits the growth of micro-organisms.

The takeaway: the date doesn't tell the whole story

The dates printed on packaging play an important role, but on their own they aren't enough to judge a food's quality or safety. They should be understood as guides framed by specific storage conditions, not as an absolute truth valid in every case.

In reality, a food doesn't automatically 'switch' from edible to inedible at midnight on the date shown. Its stability also depends on its nature, its moisture level, its packaging, the cold chain and the conditions in which it was stored.

This is particularly true for products carrying a best-before date, for which 'best before' mainly signals a possible change in flavour, texture or appearance, without a systematic health hazard if the product has been well stored.

Conversely, the use-by date applies to more sensitive products, for which respecting the date remains essential, particularly because of microbiological risks.

What comes through is that a significant share of food waste is thought to come from too rigid a reading of these indications. Many still-edible products are thrown away simply because the date has passed, without taking their actual condition into account.

Adopting a more nuanced approach would help better distinguish what's a genuine health risk from what's simply a natural change in the product. That means observing, smelling and understanding, rather than relying solely on a printed date.

To go further, discover our article: What to do with out-of-date milk?