'Use By' and 'Best Before' Dates on Food - What do they really mean?

‘Use-by’ and ‘best-before’ dates are present on most packaged food and drink products, but what exactly do these words mean? Why do some products specify a use-by date, others best-before? Can food retailers sell products past their ‘use-by’ or ‘best-before’ date? The purpose of this 3,000 word article is to answer these questions and to outline some of the legal risks that some retailers may be taking.

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