Confusion over date labels on food

10th February 2009, 3:23pm

Many consumers are confused between 'use by' and 'best before' dates on food, meaning that some could be taking risks by eating food past its safety date.

Only half (49%) of respondents in the Public Attitudes to Food Issues survey conducted by the Food Standards Agency, correctly identified the 'use by' date as the best measure of safety and just less than half (47%) said they would never eat cooked meat beyond its use by date.

The FSA said these figures suggest a large proportion are willing to take risks with the safety of their food by eating foods beyond the use-by date.

A quarter (26%) of respondents said they would never eat breakfast cereal beyond its best before date, even though best before dates are an indication of quality (i.e. freshness) rather than safety.

People may therefore be throwing away food unnecessarily, as although it may no longer be at its best, it would still be safe to eat.

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