There is a good chance you have thrown away perfectly safe food this week because of a date on the packaging. You are not alone. Research from RMIT University and End Food Waste Australia found that up to 82% of Australian consumers do not correctly understand what "best-before" means. A separate study by OzHarvest found that 58% of high-wasting households throw food away primarily based on date labels.
Globally, the picture is similar. ReFED's 2025 survey found that 88% of US consumers discard food near its package date at least occasionally. WRAP (UK) reports that one in three loaves of bread in the UK is thrown away because of its best-before date -- even though the bread is perfectly safe to eat.
Date label confusion is one of the most well-documented and preventable drivers of household food waste. The NRDC estimates that standardising date labels could reduce household food waste by up to 20%, based on research from the UK where label reform has been underway.
This guide explains exactly what Australian date labels mean, according to the official regulator -- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). We will cover when a date is about safety, when it is about quality, and when you can safely ignore it altogether.
Why Date Labels Confuse Everyone
The root of the confusion is that Australia (like most countries) uses two types of date labels that mean fundamentally different things, but look almost identical on the packaging.
- Use-by = a safety date. Do not eat after this date.
- Best-before = a quality date. Safe to eat after this date, but may not be at peak quality.
The problem is that most people treat both dates the same way: when the date passes, the food goes in the bin. This single misunderstanding is responsible for a staggering amount of preventable food waste.
RMIT researchers found that not only do 82% of consumers misunderstand best-before labels, but 62% also misunderstand use-by labels -- some thinking it is merely a quality indicator when it is actually a safety boundary. The confusion runs both ways.
What date label confusion actually costs
The financial impact is significant. When a household throws away food because its best-before date has passed -- even though the food is safe -- they are paying for food they could have eaten. At scale, this contributes to the $2,000 or more that the average Australian household wastes on food each year (End Food Waste Australia / Sustainability Victoria).
Multiply that across 10 million Australian households and the aggregate cost is in the billions. Date label confusion alone does not account for all household food waste, but researchers consistently identify it as one of the primary drivers, alongside forgetting what you have and not knowing what to cook.
Use-By Dates: The Safety Date
A use-by date is applied to foods that may become unsafe to eat after the specified date, even if they look and smell fine. This is not a suggestion or a quality indicator. It is a food safety boundary.
What it means
According to FSANZ: "Foods must not be eaten after the use-by date and should not be sold after this date because they may pose a health or safety risk."
The use-by date indicates the last day the manufacturer guarantees the food is safe to consume, provided it has been stored correctly (usually refrigerated at the temperatures specified on the packaging).
Which foods carry use-by dates
Use-by dates are required on foods that are potentially hazardous from a microbiological perspective after a certain time. Common examples include:
- Fresh meat and poultry
- Fresh seafood
- Deli meats and smallgoods
- Fresh dairy products (milk, yoghurt, cream, soft cheese)
- Fresh pasta
- Prepared salads and sandwiches
- Some fresh juices
What to do when the use-by date is close
If you have food approaching its use-by date and you will not eat it in time, you have two options:
1. Cook it before the date. Cooking extends the safe window because it kills bacteria. A cooked meal made with ingredients used before their use-by date is safe to eat for a few more days (refrigerated) or can be frozen.
2. Freeze it before the date. The freezer pauses the clock on food safety. You can freeze food right up until its use-by date and it remains safe. When you defrost it later, use it within 24 hours.
Why you should never eat food after its use-by date
This is not about quality or taste. Certain bacteria -- including Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli -- can grow to dangerous levels in perishable foods even when refrigerated. These bacteria often cannot be detected by looking at or smelling the food. A piece of chicken that looks and smells fine one day after its use-by date may contain harmful levels of bacteria.
This is especially important for vulnerable groups: young children, elderly people, pregnant women, and anyone with a compromised immune system.
The rule is absolute: if it has passed its use-by date, do not eat it. Do not smell-test it. Do not risk it.
Best-Before Dates: The Quality Date
A best-before date is fundamentally different from a use-by date. It indicates the date until which the food will be at its best quality -- taste, texture, appearance, and nutritional value. After this date, the food may begin to decline in quality, but it is still safe to eat.
What it means
According to FSANZ: "Foods are still safe to eat after the best-before date as long as they are not damaged, deteriorated or perished."
This is the critical distinction that 82% of Australians miss: best-before is about quality, not safety. A tin of chickpeas three months past its best-before date is perfectly safe. A packet of pasta a year past its best-before date is perfectly safe. Dried spices, canned goods, condiments, and many other pantry staples remain safe well beyond their best-before dates.
Why food is safe after this date
Best-before dates are conservative estimates set by manufacturers, often based on when the product is at its absolute peak. They account for the worst-case storage scenario and include a significant safety margin. The actual point at which quality noticeably declines is usually well after the printed date.
For shelf-stable products (canned goods, dried foods, condiments, snacks), the best-before date may be months or even years before the food becomes unpleasant to eat, let alone unsafe.
For fresh products with best-before dates (some cheeses, eggs, bread), the window after the date is shorter, but the food does not instantly become dangerous. It becomes a matter of sensory judgement.
The "look, smell, taste" approach
Too Good To Go, a certified B Corp and the largest surplus food marketplace in the world, runs a campaign called "Look, Smell, Taste, Don't Waste" with over 530 FMCG brand partners. The principle is simple: for best-before items, use your senses before using the bin.
1. Look. Does the food appear normal? No visible mould, discolouration, or unusual texture? 2. Smell. Does it smell the way you would expect? No off odours, sourness, or fermentation? 3. Taste. Take a small amount. Does it taste right?
If the food passes all three checks, it is fine to eat -- regardless of the best-before date.
Important caveat: This approach applies only to best-before items. Never apply the look-smell-taste test to food past its use-by date. Use-by is about microbiological safety, and dangerous bacteria are not always detectable by human senses.
Common foods that last well beyond their best-before date
Here are some examples of foods that are commonly thrown away because of their best-before date, even though they remain safe for extended periods:
Food — Typical best-before window — How long it actually lasts (if stored correctly)
Canned goods (beans, tomatoes, tuna, soup) — 1-5 years — Years beyond the date (as long as the can is not damaged, bulging, or rusted)
Dried pasta — 1-3 years — Years beyond the date
Rice (white) — 1-2 years — Indefinitely if kept dry
Honey — 2-3 years — Essentially indefinitely (it may crystallise but is still safe)
Dried spices and herbs — 1-3 years — Years (flavour fades but safety is not a concern)
Flour — 6-12 months — Months beyond (white flour lasts longer than wholemeal)
Sugar — 2 years — Indefinitely
Vinegar — 2 years — Indefinitely (it is already acidic; bacteria cannot grow)
Soy sauce — 2-3 years — Years beyond the date
Eggs — 6 weeks from packing — 1-2 weeks beyond best-before (do the water test: if the egg sinks, it is fresh; if it floats, discard it)
Hard cheese (cheddar, parmesan) — Weeks — Weeks to months beyond; cut off any mould and the rest is safe
Bread — 3-7 days — Several days beyond (may be stale but safe; toast it or freeze it)
Yoghurt — 1-3 weeks — Days to a week beyond (smell and taste will tell you)
Chocolate — 6-24 months — Months to years beyond (white bloom is cosmetic, not dangerous)
This list alone could prevent a significant amount of household food waste if people applied it consistently.
What About "Sell By" and "Display Until"?
You may occasionally see labels that say "sell by" or "display until" on food packaging. These are instructions for retailers, not consumers. They tell the store when to rotate stock or pull items from the shelf. They have nothing to do with food safety or quality for the consumer.
In Australia, FSANZ does not require these labels, and they are being phased out in many markets to reduce consumer confusion. The UK's FSA has been working with retailers to remove "display until" labels for the same reason.
If you see a "sell by" or "display until" date, you can safely ignore it when making decisions about whether to eat the food.
Regional Differences: A Quick Note
Date label terminology and regulations vary by country. This article focuses on Australian regulations (FSANZ), but here is how other major markets compare:
Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ)
- Use-by: Safety date. Do not eat after.
- Best-before: Quality date. Safe to eat after, provided the food is not damaged or perished.
- Foods with a shelf life of two years or more are not required to carry a date label.
United Kingdom (FSA)
- Use-by: Safety date. Do not eat after.
- Best-before: Quality date. Safe to eat after.
- "Display until" is being phased out.
- The FSA has been encouraging manufacturers to switch from use-by to best-before where microbiological evidence supports it -- reducing unnecessary waste.
United States (USDA / FDA)
- There is no federal standard for date labels on most foods (infant formula is the exception).
- "Best if used by" is the USDA's recommended voluntary standard for quality dates.
- "Use by" is sometimes used but does not have the same regulatory weight as in Australia or the UK.
- The lack of standardisation is a major contributor to food waste in the US. ReFED and NRDC have both advocated for federal date label standards.
European Union
- Similar to Australia: "use-by" for safety, "best-before" for quality.
- The EU is considering allowing member states to sell food past its best-before date (some already do).
- Too Good To Go's "Look, Smell, Taste, Don't Waste" campaign has gained significant traction with 530+ brand partners across Europe.
If you are reading this from outside Australia, check the guidance from your local food safety authority. The core principle is universal -- safety dates matter, quality dates are flexible -- but the specific labels and regulations differ.
How to Reduce Waste From Date Label Confusion
Now that you understand the difference, here are practical steps to apply this knowledge in your kitchen.
1. Check the label type, not just the date
Before throwing anything away, look at whether the label says "use-by" or "best-before." If it says best-before, the food is almost certainly still safe to eat. Use your senses to confirm.
2. Freeze before use-by
If you have meat, dairy, or other use-by items approaching their date and you will not use them in time, freeze them. The freezer pauses the safety clock. This single habit can prevent a significant portion of food waste from perishable items.
3. Reorganise your fridge by date
When you unpack shopping, move older items to the front and put new items at the back. This simple practice (known as FIFO -- first in, first out) ensures you use items in the order they need to be used. It takes 30 seconds and prevents items from being forgotten at the back of the shelf.
4. Do not panic about pantry items
Canned goods, dried pasta, rice, spices, and condiments are safe well beyond their best-before dates. Before you throw out that tin of tomatoes from last year, remember: if the can is intact and not bulging, the contents are safe.
5. Track freshness based on real condition, not just a printed date
Printed dates are set by manufacturers under controlled conditions. Your food's actual freshness depends on how it has been stored in your kitchen. An item stored at a consistent 3 degrees Celsius will last longer than the same item stored in a fridge that runs warm.
Pantry Pic Smart tracks freshness based on time since you scanned the ingredient, combined with what the ingredient actually is. This gives you a more practical view of freshness than relying solely on a date printed weeks or months ago in a factory.
6. Educate your household
If 82% of Australians misunderstand date labels, chances are someone in your household does too. Share the simple rule: use-by means safety (do not eat after), best-before means quality (usually fine to eat after). A brief conversation at the dinner table could prevent hundreds of dollars of waste over a year.
The Bigger Picture
Date label confusion is not just a household inconvenience. At scale, it represents billions of dollars of food waste and millions of tonnes of edible food sent to landfill. The NRDC estimates that standardising date labels in the US alone could reduce household food waste by up to 20%.
In Australia, the conversation is advancing. End Food Waste Australia and RMIT are actively researching consumer understanding of date labels. Some retailers are already making changes -- extending best-before dates, removing them from products with long shelf lives, and adding "often good after" messaging.
But systemic change takes time. In the meantime, the most impactful thing you can do is understand the labels yourself, apply the look-smell-taste test to best-before items, freeze before use-by dates, and share what you know with the people around you.
Every item you eat instead of throwing away because you understood the label is food saved, money kept, and waste prevented.
Start Today
The next time you are about to throw something away because of a date on the package, stop and ask:
1. Is it a use-by or a best-before? 2. If best-before: does it look, smell, and taste fine? 3. If use-by and approaching the date: can you freeze it or cook it today?
Three questions. Potentially hundreds of dollars saved per year. And a meaningful dent in the $2,000 or more that Australian households waste on food annually (End Food Waste Australia / Sustainability Victoria).
Pantry Pic Smart helps you track real freshness for your ingredients, so you can make informed decisions based on what is actually in your kitchen -- not just what a factory printed on a label weeks ago.
Sources: FSANZ, Food Standards Agency (UK), USDA, RMIT University / End Food Waste Australia, OzHarvest, ReFED 2025, WRAP, NRDC, Too Good To Go, Sustainability Victoria, End Food Waste Australia.
