Sell-by dates are now past their best says Defra

New guidance has been published by Defra to replace the term – and “display until”, with “use-by” or “best-before” to make it clear to consumers at what point the food is spoiled.

“We want to end the food labelling confusion and make it clear once and for all when food is good and safe to eat,” said Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman. “This simpler and safer date labelling guide will help households cut down on the £12 billion worth of good food that ends up in the bin.”

The guidance for food producers outlines that “use-by” labels should only be used where the food could be unsafe after a certain date – such as for soft cheese, ready-prepared meals and smoked fish. Most other foods, including biscuits, jams, pickles, crisps and tinned foods, should have a “best-before” date only, to indicate when the food is no longer at its best, but is still safe to eat.

Liz Redmond, head of hygiene and microbiology at the Food Standards Authority, added: “There is a lot of confusion amongst customers about date marks.

A number of different dates can be found on our food, so we need to make sure that everyone knows the difference between them.

“We always emphasise that ‘use-by’ dates are the most important, as these relate to food safety.

“This new guidance will give greater clarity to the food industry on which date mark should be used on their products while maintaining consumer protection.”

But Richard Lloyd, executive director of consumer organisation Which?, said shoppers should adhere to “use-by” dates and not rely on other factors, such as smell or taste of food, to determine if it is fresh.

He said: “You can’t identify harmful bacteria in this way.”