Use by or Best before
Those indications are here to complicate the life of many. I am not suggesting eating everything that is out of date, far from it, but you should always think twice before throwing something into the bin just because the label shows it has passed its date. Let me explain further.
A “best before” date also known as BBE is about quality and not safety. Therefore, it will usually be ok for several days or even weeks, depending on the product. It may have lost a bit of colour or taste but will still be safe to eat. The most common products are spices, flour and any dry foods you may have in your cupboard.
An out of date paprika, for example, will require you to add a bit more to your dish, but that is it, don’t bin it just because it is 6 months out of date.
A “use by date” will not necessarily be out of date by the day mentioned on the product. While some foods should indeed be binned after their ‘use by’ date has passed, you can stop throwing away some of your other favourite ingredients unnecessarily. If you have a pot of yoghurt, a bottle of milk or some hard cheese which has always been kept in the fridge, it should normally still be fine to eat up to 2 to 3 days later. If however a product has already been opened, then I would definitely not go past the date mentioned.
Eggs kept in the fridge should still be ok up to one week past their date, if used in recipes. By this, I mean, not cooked in their shell. They must always be broken individually in a separate bowl first. This is to check for any unpleasant odour when you crack them, as this means they must be thrown away.
Frozen Vegetables kept in the freezer, in theory, can last for quite a long time if kept unopened.
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