Use-by vs best-before
A use-by date is about food safety. A best-before date is about quality—so they should not be treated the same way.
Official sources checked 18 September 2026 Based on official UK food-safety guidance Independent site
The short answer
A use-by date is a safety date: do not eat, cook or freeze the food after it. A best-before date is a quality date: food past it is usually still safe, but it may no longer be at its best. The two labels sit on different kinds of food, so check which one you have before deciding anything.
Use-by: a safety date
Do not eat food after its use-by date, even if it looks or smells fine. In practical terms, food that has been stored as the pack says can be used up to midnight on the use-by date, and not after it. Food Standards Scotland puts it the same way: use-by food can be eaten on the use-by date but not after.
Follow the storage instructions on the pack. The date only applies if the food has been kept as instructed, so a pack left on the counter is not covered by it.
Cooking or freezing before the use-by date
The Food Standards Agency says you can eat food after its use-by date only if it was cooked or frozen on or before that date. The freezer should be at -18°C. Once frozen food has defrosted, use it within 24 hours, and keep it in the fridge while it thaws. See how to defrost food safely.
If you cook food before its use-by date, it becomes a cooked leftover with its own rules. The Agency says to cool it, put it in the fridge, and eat it within 48 hours. See how long leftovers last in the fridge.
Opened packs
A use-by date assumes the pack is unopened. Once a pack is open, keep the food in the fridge at 5°C or below and follow any storage instructions on the label. If the label gives a shorter time once opened, use the shorter time.
Best-before: a quality date
A best-before date is about quality, not the same safety deadline. Passing that date alone does not automatically make food unsafe, but the flavour, colour or texture may have gone off. Storage instructions still matter.
Both the Agency and Food Standards Scotland say you can use your own judgement for best-before foods. Look at the food, smell it and taste a small amount if it seems fine. If it has changed noticeably, do not eat it.
Why the sniff test is not for use-by food
Use-by food is judged by the date rather than by your senses. Food Standards Scotland specifically says not to use the sniff test on use-by food, and that dairy past its use-by date should never be sniff-tested.
Eggs
Eggs are a special case. Food Standards Scotland says the best-before date on eggs is no more than 28 days after laying, and that eggs can be eaten a day or two past it if they are thoroughly cooked. Read the official guidance rather than relying on the date alone.
Worked examples
A pack of fresh chicken has a use-by date of Friday. Cooking it on Thursday is fine, and the cooked chicken is then a leftover to be eaten within two days. Cooking it on Saturday is not, even if it smells fine.
A box of breakfast cereal is a week past its best-before date. The date describes quality, so check it looks and smells normal and has been kept dry and sealed.
Common questions
Can I eat food the day after the use-by date?
No. Use-by food should not be eaten after the use-by date, unless it was cooked or frozen on or before it.
Can I freeze food on the use-by date?
Yes. The Food Standards Agency says food can be frozen up to and including the use-by date, and then used within 24 hours of defrosting.
Is Scotland different?
The distinction is the same. Food Standards Scotland also treats use-by as a safety date and best-before as a quality date.
Check the right label
If your food has a use-by date, use the checker for the facts you know. For a best-before date, assess the product instructions and relevant official advice. Read the Food Standards Agency guidance Read Food Standards Scotland’s guidance
Looking for US guidance? Read the US food date-label guide, or see the UK versus US comparison.
Use the checker for your situation
This page gives general UK guidance. Check your food for the situations Safe to Eat? currently covers.
Sources and scope
Last checked: 18 September 2026.
This resource is based on UK food-safety guidance and does not replace the checker’s personalised questions. Read how the checker works and see the official sources.
Safe to Eat? is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the authorities cited above.