Who actually sets expiration dates? Can you still eat biscuits one day past their date?
Here’s the bottom line: “best before” dates are about quality, not whether the food is poisonous.
China’s standard for prepackaged food labels defines a shelf life as “the period during which a product retains its quality under the storage conditions specified on the label.” Notice that it refers to quality. Manufacturers promise that the taste, flavor, and nutritional value will hold up during that period—not that bacteria will start multiplying at lightning speed the day after it ends.
So how do they come up with the date? Most manufacturers don’t actually leave biscuits on a shelf for two years and wait for them to go moldy. A common approach is accelerated testing: put samples in a hot, humid chamber and subject them to a few weeks of harsh conditions, then use experience to estimate how long they’ll last at room temperature. They also take industry norms for similar products into account, then build in an extra safety margin. So the date you see is often earlier than the point at which the food would actually become inedible.
What you really need to consider is how the food has been stored. Biscuits gone soggy, oil that’s turned rancid, or a bulging can—those are clear warning signs. On the other hand, refrigerated ready-to-eat foods, fresh milk, and cut fruit should be thrown out as soon as their dates have passed. Don’t hesitate.
Interestingly, there are two date-labeling systems used internationally: “best before” refers to quality, while “use by” refers to safety (so pay close attention). In Chinese, a single term—“shelf life”—covers both, so it’s no wonder people argue every year about milk that’s one day past its date.
Is there a bottle of sauce in your fridge that’s quietly past its date right now?
Here’s the bottom line: “best before” dates are about quality, not whether the food is poisonous.
China’s standard for prepackaged food labels defines a shelf life as “the period during which a product retains its quality under the storage conditions specified on the label.” Notice that it refers to quality. Manufacturers promise that the taste, flavor, and nutritional value will hold up during that period—not that bacteria will start multiplying at lightning speed the day after it ends.
So how do they come up with the date? Most manufacturers don’t actually leave biscuits on a shelf for two years and wait for them to go moldy. A common approach is accelerated testing: put samples in a hot, humid chamber and subject them to a few weeks of harsh conditions, then use experience to estimate how long they’ll last at room temperature. They also take industry norms for similar products into account, then build in an extra safety margin. So the date you see is often earlier than the point at which the food would actually become inedible.
What you really need to consider is how the food has been stored. Biscuits gone soggy, oil that’s turned rancid, or a bulging can—those are clear warning signs. On the other hand, refrigerated ready-to-eat foods, fresh milk, and cut fruit should be thrown out as soon as their dates have passed. Don’t hesitate.
Interestingly, there are two date-labeling systems used internationally: “best before” refers to quality, while “use by” refers to safety (so pay close attention). In Chinese, a single term—“shelf life”—covers both, so it’s no wonder people argue every year about milk that’s one day past its date.
Is there a bottle of sauce in your fridge that’s quietly past its date right now?