Best-before dates on food ‘can be ignored for months’

FOOD can be eaten up to six months after its best-before date and weeks beyond its use-by date, according to consumer watchdogs.

Ignoring some of the recommendations on best-before and use-by labels could stop millions of tonnes of produce being unnecessarily sent to landfill sites, experts said.

However, dates on fresh or processed meat, poultry and fish should not be broken, said Which?, while anyone classed as vulnerable or with health conditions should stick to them.

Which? enlisted Dr Slim Dinsdale, a microbiologist and food safety consultant, to look at the dates on popular products. Government advice is that food is safe to eat past its best-before date but not after its use-by date.

He said eggs could be eaten one

‘Look at the sell-by date, but don’t be ruled by it. If it looks and tastes bad, it is likely to be bad’

week after their best-before date if kept at room temperature and for one month beyond it when refrigerated, as long as they had the red lion stamp.

Opened milk can be consumed up to a week after its use-by date or two weeks if unopened. Long-life, nut, soya and oat “milks” follow the same rules.

Hard cheese can be eaten three months after its best-before date or until mould growth becomes unacceptable. Soft cheese is safe a week after its use-by date if pasteurised.

Butter lasts up to six months longer than its best-before date if refrigerated.

Fruit and vegetables can be used for weeks after purchase if they look fine but prepared salads should be eaten no more than a week after the use-by date.

Brian Smith, of Booth Smith Food Technology, said: “The guide to the sell-by date is: look at it, but don’t be ruled by it. If it looks and tastes bad, it is likely to be bad. But with fresh food or perishables it is best not to exceed the best-before date.”