Best Before vs Use By: What's the Difference?

The Basics

Date labels on food aren't just helpful suggestions—they're legal requirements with specific meanings. Using the wrong type of date label can create food safety risks or lead to unnecessary waste.

Use By Dates

Use by dates are about safety. They appear on foods that go off quickly and could cause illness if eaten after the date.

When to Use Them

Important Rules

Best Before Dates

Best before dates are about quality. They indicate when food will be at its best, but the food is usually safe to eat after this date.

When to Use Them

Important Rules

Display Until / Sell By

These are not required by law and are purely for stock control. They're messages between the retailer and their staff, not for consumers.

If you're a producer, you don't need to include these—focus on the legally required date marking.

How to Determine Which Date to Use

Ask yourself: Could this food become unsafe to eat over time?

When in doubt, consider:

Formatting Requirements

Use By

Must show day and month as a minimum. Year is optional but recommended for longer shelf lives.

Examples:

Best Before

For foods lasting less than 3 months: day and month minimum.

For foods lasting 3-18 months: month and year minimum.

For foods lasting over 18 months: year minimum (or "best before end...").

Examples:

Storage Instructions

If your product requires specific storage to achieve its shelf life, you must include storage instructions alongside the date.

Examples:

How Crumpet Helps

Crumpet prompts you to add the appropriate date marking for your product and ensures the format meets UK requirements. We'll also remind you to add storage instructions where needed.