Use-By vs Best-Before Dates Explained (Australia)

Most packaged food in Australia carries a date, but the two main dates mean different things: one is about safety, the other about quality. Here's what each means under Australian food law, and what changes once you open the pack.

The short answer

• Use by is about safety. Don't eat food after this date.
• Best before is about quality. Food can still be safe for a while afterwards if it has been stored properly and shows no signs of spoilage.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) puts it simply: "Foods should not be eaten after the use-by date and can't legally be sold after this date because they may pose a health or safety risk" (FSANZ, Use-by and best-before dates).

What the law says: Standard 1.2.5

Date marking is set by Standard 1.2.5 – Information requirements – date marking of food for sale. It defines both dates.

Use-by date

The Standard defines a use-by date as "the date after which it is estimated that the food for sale should not be consumed because of health or safety reasons, if the food for sale: (a) remains in an intact package during its storage; and (b) is stored in accordance with any storage conditions applicable under Standard 1.2.6."

It also sets a clear rule for shops: "A food must not be sold after its use-by date" (Standard 1.2.5, section 1.2.5—4). Treat this date as a hard limit.

Best-before date

A best-before date is "the date up to which the food for sale will remain fully marketable and will retain any specific qualities for which express or implied claims have been made", again provided the food stays in an intact package and is stored as the label directs.

FSANZ explains what that means in practice: "You can still eat foods for a while after the best-before date as they should be safe but they may have lost some quality. Foods that have a best-before date can legally be sold after that date provided the food is fit for human consumption" (FSANZ).

The NSW Food Authority says best-before foods "are safe to be consumed provided the food is otherwise fit for human consumption" and "can be sold after that date, provided the food is not deteriorated or perished" (NSW Food Authority, Date marks and storage).

Other dates you might see

Baked on and baked for (bread)

Bread is the one exception to the two-date system. According to FSANZ, "The only food that can have a different date mark on it is bread, which can be labelled with a baked-on or baked-for date if its shelf life is less than seven days." Standard 1.2.5 defines the "baked-on date" as "the date on which the bread was baked". Bread baked after midday can carry a baked-for date of the following day.

Packed on and batch codes

A "packed on" date isn't a use-by or best-before date. Standard 1.2.5 simply says the date-marking rules do "not prevent the addition of a packed-on date or a manufacturer's or a packer's code on the label on a package of food." It tells you when the food was packed, not how long it will keep, so look for the use-by or best-before as well.

Once you open the pack, the rules change

Both definitions above depend on the food staying "in an intact package" and being stored as directed. Once you open it, the printed date no longer tells the whole story. Check the label for opened-pack instructions. The NSW Food Authority notes that the Code requires a label to show "a statement of any specific conditions required to ensure that the food will keep for the period indicated by the date mark, eg. refrigerate after opening." FSANZ's example is a label saying 'This yoghurt should be kept refrigerated'. Follow those, including any "use within" time after opening.

To be clear about what a container can and can't do: moving food into another container, including a vacuum container, does not extend its use-by date. Vacuum sealing doesn't make food safe for longer than the label or official guidance says. Whichever comes first, the use-by date or the opened-pack time, is your limit.

Leftovers don't have a printed date

Food you've cooked has no printed date, so use official leftover guidance instead. The NSW Food Authority advises: "Eat leftovers stored in the fridge within 3 days. Cooked rice and pasta should be eaten within 2 days." It also says to "Cool and cover leftovers and put them in a fridge or freezer within 2 hours" (NSW Food Authority, Leftovers). The Food Safety Information Council similarly advises: "Always store perishable leftovers in the fridge and use them up within two to three days" (Food Safety Information Council, Leftovers).

For opened canned food, NSW says to "follow the manufacturer’s directions for storage and use and take the same precautions as you would for fresh food."

Our guide to how long leftovers last in the fridge has a food-by-food table. If you won't eat something in time, our guide to freezing and thawing leftovers explains how to freeze it safely.

Keeping track at home

At home, the dates that matter most are often ones you set yourself: the day you cooked, opened or froze something. Check dates when you unpack the shopping, move older items to the front, and note when you open a pack or cook a meal.

Dating food is one of the habits in our guide to reducing food waste at home, along with planning meals and freezing food you won't get to in time.

The lids in the Vuumex Glass Vacuum Food Container Set have a date dial, which helps you record the date you stored something. The set includes four borosilicate glass containers (470ml, 800ml, 1.4L and 2.7L) and a rechargeable pump. The dial is a reminder, not a new use-by date, so official times still apply. For more storage tips, see our Info & Tips page.

Quick recap

• Use by: don't eat it after the date. Shops can't sell it after the date.
• Best before: quality date. Food may still be safe if stored properly and not spoiled.
• Baked on/for: bread only. Packed on: not a safety date.
• Opened or cooked: follow the label's opened-pack instructions and official leftover times. Decanting or vacuum sealing doesn't change them.

Sources: Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Use-by and best-before dates; Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, Standard 1.2.5 – Information requirements – date marking of food for sale; NSW Food Authority, Date marks and storage and Leftovers; Food Safety Information Council, Use by and best before dates and Leftovers. This guide is general information only.