Three different dates can be printed on a product, yet they do not tell you the same thing. One of the dates could tell you the production date, another could tell you how long you can store it to maintain quality, and another can give you the hard deadline of when you must use it. If we treat all printed dates as expiration dates, product record keeping is affected and we end up with comparisons that are misleading.
A production date tells us that on that particular date, that specific product or batch of products was produced. Knowing the production date can tell us the age of the product, but that information, by itself, does not let us know how long the product can be stored or used until it becomes unfit for purpose or consumption. To be able to properly understand the meaning of the production date we are looking for other pieces of information such as the stated shelf life, expiration date, or terms that tell us exactly how to count the storage period. The production date by itself is just one part of the whole picture of label information.
A best-before date is, at best, an indication of expected quality. If the item has been kept under the storage instructions specified on the label, the product characteristics (colour, texture, flavour, odour, functionality, etc.) are expected to remain within their target values or ranges during the time stated on the best-before date. It is not an indication that at midnight of the day listed, every single product will begin to change and be unsuitable for purpose or consumption. It is also not a substitute for checking the physical condition of the package and product. We still need to verify if it shows any signs of physical damage such as a broken seal, container swelling, leakage, deformed packaging, or signs of improper storage.
We also need to be careful with use-by and not treat it as a substitute for best-before. When the label indicates use-by, it is normally for cases where the final date listed takes precedence for safe handling and consumption. We are to follow whatever instructions are listed instead of substituting our own judgement based on what we think the date might imply. You cannot tell by just looking at the product if the product is still okay to use after its use-by date because some important changes cannot be seen when the package is intact.
Get 2 to 3 of the same products in a package sitting on a table, and take down the date, codes, and any accompanying phrases on an observation sheet for each product. Write down which date is the production date, which date is the best-before date or use-by date, and which part of that information is the batch number. Then add a note for the required storage temperature, how you should store it after opening, and what other statements there are (such as “use within…” or “consume by…”) that are needed to understand the storage and safety of the food product. This exercise helps us see how we have to combine date information with storage and handling conditions to fully understand it.
What is the state of the packaging must also be considered. A product could still be within its stated storage period but show signs such as a broken seal, container swelling, moisture damage, fading of colours, or leakage. It might also show signs of having been exposed to improper temperatures or humidity, or direct sunlight. When doing our assessment, we need to take them all into consideration, separately. We need to take note of the dates and information listed, take note of how we are supposed to store and handle the item, and take note of the physical condition before we can combine the three to form a valid conclusion on whether we should use it or not.
One good thing to measure progress is your ability to tell the differences between the dates and not refer to all of them as “expiration dates.” During the next round of checking the package, before you try to interpret the numbers on the label, look at the accompanying words, check for batch codes, look at what needs to be done after opening, and check the storage conditions and instructions. We do not normally find the exact meaning of the dates by looking at them alone.