What exactly is the difference between 'sell by dates' and 'best before' dates on food products?

Answer 1

Sell by is when the retailer must sell the product by(or remove from shelf). Best before is when you should eat it by.

Answer 2

There are generally four types of dates on food:

"Sell by" or "pull by" - This is mostly for the manufacturer to tell grocers when the product should stop being sold. It does not mean the product is bad once it reaches that date. For example, milk can be safe and still have its flavor seven to 10 days after the sell-by date. Chicken can be good for one to two days after that date.

"Best if used by" (or "before") - This is a date recommended by the manufacturer for the best flavor, texture or quality. It does not mean the product is no longer safe to eat once that date has passed.

"Use by" (expiration date) - This is the last date on which the product should be eaten. It may appear like this: "Do not use after January 1, 2006." Food is no longer safe to eat after this date. Throw it out.

Closed or coded dates - These are packing codes, which help track the product as it is shipped across state lines. These usually appear on cans and some boxed goods and refer to the date when the product was packaged. Having such a date helps the manufacturer know where the products are in case of a recall. These dates are not "use-by" dates.

Answer 3

Sell by date: this is an instruction to the retailer, from the manufacturer, to sell the product by a certain date. It has no legal significance as far as the consumer's concerned. If the retailer sells it after the date, and you agree to buy it after the date, then there's no problem legally.

Best before date: this is the date after which the manufacturer of the product no longer guarantees its quality. So after that date, the food might be OK to eat, but it might not be as nice. For example, milk chocolate "blooms" - the milk content separates from the cocoa content, giving it a dusty, mildewy appearance. But it's still perfectly OK to eat.

Answer 4

sell by dates are products that actually go off, and not good at all to consume after that date, where as best before is a manufacturing requirement, that indicate that the product is still okay but is better before that date.

Answer 5

Sell by dates are when you should buy it in the store you have a few days to eat it after that, but thats when the store needs to get rid of it. Best before means it will be better before that date and you should eat it before. Pretty self explanatory hope this clears it up for you =)

Answer 6

Contrary to what others have said about food being ok to eat a few days after the best before -

if food is fresh, for example a shops pre prepared shepherds pie then it should absolutly NOT be eaten after the best before date.

i use to work in the food maufacuring business for fresh food and manufacturers get as much 'shelf life' out of a product as they possibly can to maximise selling potential and therefore profit.
if you eat fresh food after this date you risk food poisoning.

Answer 7

"sell by dates" - is the date that a store needs to sell the product

"best before" - is the until the product is fresh or healthy

Answer 8

Sell by dates mean the store cant sell it after that day . Best beforee means that it is beater to eat it /drink it befor the date or the tastee will tast a little different.

Answer 9

The sell by date is before the best before date. as the shops are not aloud to sell them after the sell by date, however if you have bought if before, you are supposed to eat it before the best before date. Simple really. its soo that the customer doesn't buy something thats just about to go out of date!

P.S. the best before dates on most foods are really stupid, slop and extra few days on their, its perfectly fine.

Answer 10

The sell by date is when it should be sold by or taken off the shelf and the best before date is when it starts to go off, or taste funny.