Standard 1.2.5 - Date marking of food, Food Safety Glossary
The Food Standards Code standard that governs use-by and best-before dates on packaged food.
The Food Standards Code standard that governs use-by and best-before dates on packaged food. Standard 1.2.5 sets the rules for date marking on packaged food in Australia and New Zealand. It distinguishes between a use-by date, applied to food that may pose a health or safety risk after that date, and a best-before date, which indicates the period during which the food retains its quality if stored correctly. The distinction matters for both safety and waste. Food must not be sold after its use-by date, because after that date it may no longer be safe to eat. Food past its best-before date may still be sold and eaten, provided it is safe and not otherwise damaged or deteriorated, because a best-before date is about quality rather than safety. Businesses must apply the correct type of date mark to the packaged food they produce, and must not sell food that has passed its use-by date. Stock rotation practices, often summarised as first-in-first-out, are used to make sure older stock is used or sold before newer stock. Retailers can continue to sell food after its best-before date if it is still safe and suitable, and many stores discount such stock rather than discarding it. Storing food as directed on the label, particularly refrigerating items marked to be kept cold, is part of keeping a use-by date meaningful. A Brisbane sandwich shop marks its pre-packed chicken wraps with a use-by date and removes any unsold wraps from the fridge once that date passes, because chicken products carry a use-by rather than a best-before mark.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between use-by and best-before?
A use-by date is about safety and food must not be sold or eaten after it, while a best-before date is about quality and food may still be sold and eaten afterwards if it is safe and suitable.
Can a business sell food after its best-before date?
Yes, provided the food is still safe and suitable and has not deteriorated or been damaged, though it cannot be sold after a use-by date.
Which foods carry a use-by date?
Foods that may become unsafe to eat after a certain time, such as many chilled ready-to-eat products, carry a use-by date.
Does all packaged food need a date mark?
Most packaged food needs a date mark, though some products with a long shelf life, such as those that keep for more than two years, are exempt under the standard.
Who is responsible for the correct date mark?
The business that packages and labels the food is responsible for applying the correct type of date mark under Standard 1.2.5.
