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The best before date will tell you that unopened food products should keep their freshness, their taste, their nutritional value and other qualities until that specified date. If it's opened though, the shelf life could be shortened, so it's important to store your foods properly before and after they're open so they remain safe to eat.
- Date labelling on pre-packaged foods
- How it's presented
- Fresh food and produce
Information about dates on pre-packaged food is a valuable source of information. Here are some terms you should be familiar with:
Durable life - This indicates the anticipated amount of time an unopened food product will keep its freshness, taste, nutritional value and other qualities when stored under appropriate conditions. A "best before" date tells you when the "durable life" period ends.
The "best before" date must be identified using the words "best before" and "meilleure avant" together with the date. These can appear anywhere on a package -- and if on the bottom, that placement should be indicated elsewhere on the label. The month of expiration must be in both official languages or indicated by using specified bilingual symbols. The year is optional, unless it is needed for clarity (e.g., if the shelf life extends into a new calendar year).
If included, the year must appear first, followed by the month, and then the day:
Best before
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Foods that are likely to spoil should be properly stored, and they should be eaten as quickly as possible. Harmful micro-organisms that lead to foodborne illness can grow in foods, even if they do not appear to be spoiled.
Understanding the different dates on your food can help you make informed decisions about what you buy and consume. There are different kinds of date labels, depending on the product. The most common ones are best before dates, packaged on dates and expiration dates.
The Food and Drugs Regulations (FDR) require prepackaged products with a durable life of 90 days or less to be labelled with date markings and storage instructions (where applicable) [B.01.007, FDR]. For foods with a durable life greater than 90 days, refer to Voluntary declaration .
Oct 27, 2023 · Many Canadian consumers treat “best before” dates like expiry dates, with 25% relying on them as an indicator of food safety and 65% throwing out unopened food because the date had passed according to a 2022 survey by the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University and the Angus Reid Institute.
Mar 14, 2024 · Date modified: 2024-03-14. Get information on food label requirements and buying food grown or prepared in Canada. Also learn how to understand food labels and report a labelling concern.
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Today, Laura Reid, a date labeling expert from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency breaks down the difference between best before dates, which are about food quality, and expiry dates, which focus on safety. She shares tips on how to handle foods after their best before dates and why proper storage matters.
