What do they mean?
Food naturally goes off more quickly when it’s not stored correctly, but when it is, it could actually last longer than you think. From fresh eggs to creamy yogurts, here are the real shelf life of your favourite foods and provide tips on how to store them safely.
Browse any supermarket around the world and you'll notice virtually all food items display a use by or best before date on their packaging – but this can mean different things depending on the country. For example, in Europe, Australia and the UK, use by dates signify the final date the food should be consumed, as the product may not be safe to eat after this. Products boasting best before dates, however, reference the food quality, meaning foods consumed after this date may not be the best quality, but shouldn't make you ill.
In the US, it's a bit different – foods don't have expiry dates. Instead, the use by date indicates the last date the product is at its peak quality -this is not a safety date (with the exception of infant formula).
Best by or before dates indicate when a product will be of the best quality and flavour. In Canada, however, foods with a shelf life of less than 90 days must legally be labelled with a best before date, though many products with a longer life also use this labelling.
Expiration dates are meanwhile used on certain foods with strict compositional and nutritional specifications, including infant formula.
***source from google
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