Misinterpreting Cautionary Food Labelling on Freshness

"It is the responsibility of the regulated party to determine if the product has a durable life of 90 days or less and the specific durable life information for the products they sell. The durable life of products or categories is not prescribed in regulation."
"Any changes made to the durable life information that result in false or misleading information on the label are prohibited by Section 5.(1) of the Food and Drugs Act."
"Note: All foods sold in Canada must be safe for consumption [4.(1), Food and Drugs Act]. A durable life date is not an indicator of food safety, neither before nor after the date. It applies to unopened products only; once opened, the shelf life of a food may change. Products may be found for sale after the "best before" date has passed as the date is based on freshness and quality rather than safety. When this date has passed, the food may lose some of its freshness and flavour, or its texture may have changed. Some of its nutritional value, such as vitamin C content, may also be lost."
Canadian Food Inspection Agency web page

A study undertaken in the United Kingdom by The Waste and Resources Action Programme conjectures that when best before dates are extended by the consumer by a single day past the recommended 'best before' printed on a food product labelled to inform consumers, as regulated by national food agencies, household food waste would be reduced by up to 5 percent. In Canada an estimated $31 billion-worth of food is discarded in landfills or becomes composted annually.

That figure breaks down to an estimated 170 kilograms of food that the average consumer discards yearly. As consumers, we regard 'best before' dates as a food manufacturer's warning that past the recommended date the food in question is no longer safe to eat. Nothing could be further from the truth. The food involved, on the other hand, may not be at the absolute peak of its freshness, and that's another thing altogether. The average consumer's invariable reaction to the date, however, is to discard the food immediately that date has been reached, although the food is likely still edible, as sensory tests can inform (smell and taste).

A study published in the journal Waste Management revealed that research has discovered 80 percent of Ontario residents interpret 'best before' dates as signals whether food should be discarded. The other 20 percent pay little attention to the dates and simply consume the food, past-due or not. They may know that the 'best before' date is a notional one and even if the date is meant to caution that the food is past its prime, it does not necessarily follow that this is the actual case. It is food producers' way of ensuring that what they manufacture is eaten at the peak of its freshness and taste. Aside from which the quicker the food is eaten -- or some of it discarded -- the sooner it will be replaced.

The truth of the matter is, when food deemed to be past their 'best before' date is discarded, it is rarely in a spoiled state. Aside from which the 'best before' designation does not mean 'expired'. It is a stamp whose dates are not meant to indicate food safety, but the time by which the producer feels the food will have begun to lose its optimum taste, and perhaps full nutritional value as well. When the food manufacturer decides on a number of days before what they produce is no longer optimum, that date is dialled back by 20 percent in a spirit of caution.



As it is, only foods that remain in a fresh state for under 90 days are required by law to state 'best before' dates. Packaged cereals, beans, dried pastas, soft drinks all are deemed to have a stable shelf life, and as such are exempt from being required to present a 'best before' stamp. Despite which, manufacturers stamp them regardless. Very few foodstuffs are actually required to be presented with expiration dates as opposed to 'best before' dates. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, "As it is not illegal to sell a product that is past its best-before date, a consumer can use this information to consider how the food may have changed in terms of freshness, flavour, texture and/or nutritional value before purchasing."

"Expiration date" means the date after which the manufacturer does not recommend that the product be consumed, and up to which it maintains its microbiological and physical stability and nutrient content declared on the label.
Expiration dates are not required on all foods, but only on foods for special dietary use. A food for special dietary use means food that has been specially processed or formulated to meet the particular requirements of a person [B.24.001 FDR].
The FDR requires that expiration dates must be used on the following products [B.24.001 and B.25.001 FDR]:

• formulated liquid diets (a nutritionally complete diet for persons using oral or tube feeding methods)
• foods represented for use in a very low-energy diet (foods sold only by a pharmacist and only with a written order from a physician)
• meal replacements (a formulated food that, by itself, can replace one or more daily meals)
• nutritional supplements (a food sold or represented as a supplement to a diet that may be inadequate in energy and essential nutrients)
• human milk substitutes (infant formula)

These foods should not be eaten if the expiration date has passed as they have strict compositional and nutritional specifications which might not be met after the date.
Generally, the expiration date may be shown on any label panel, except the bottom. However, in the case of formulated liquid diets, infant formula, and foods represented as containing infant formula, this information can be shown on any panel including the bottom panel provided there is a clear indication of the location of the date elsewhere on the label [B.01.005(4), FDR]. There are no prescribed expressions for "expiration date", however, the term "Exp." is often used.
Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Only a handful of products in Canada require expiration dates, which are much different than best before dates. (CBC)