Date Marking: Best Before

For products which are stable and not: “from a microbiological point of view, … highly perishable and in consequence likely after a short period of time to constitute an immediate danger to human health”, the requirement is for the “date of minimum durability” which is presented as a “Best Before” date. In addition the Regulations states: “If need be, these particulars shall be followed by a description of the storage conditions which must be observed if the product is to keep for the specified period”.

The following are examples of some standard products showing their “Best before” date and storage conditions.

The first is from a packet of Potato crisps:

The second is from a Snack bar: