'Best before end' dates
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
This are dates often found on food packets that state the least possible time for the food to go out of date, i.e. that the food will go off. Quite often these are actually totally pointless, as the food simple does not go out of date. Take chocolate for example. The date on chocolate states that it's life is relatively short, but in reality, chocolate will last near-enough for ever. Sometimes, on the other hand, these dates can be used to your advantage. Take, milk or orange juice for example. My suggestion for the food of this type is to check the Best Before End date as a swig of out of date orange juice may not be the most tasteful of beverages. To find the best before end date simple take any food packet and find a little label, often positioned near the bar code. This label may say something like "Best Before End-See Cap" on a bottle or "Best before End-See Base" on a box or packet. You will then be taken on a tour of the packet as you go from one label to the next, each indicating you to move on to a different area of the packet.
:-(
Nowadays, best before end dates are even more ridiculous. Not only do companies put on a date when the said product will supposedly go out of date; they often now add a time to it. For example "Best Before Date- 05-11-01 17:34" This product would the go out of date on the 5th of November 2001 at 34 minutes past 5 p.m. This is obviously a pointless feature to best before dates and should be ignored. Other best before date to be ignored are:
Dates on Matches, dates on chocolate, dates on beer, dates on tinned goods, dates of most frozen foods... the list goes on and on.
My advice is to completely ignore the Best before date and use your own mental and physical assets: Smell the food, Look at the food, feel the food, think whether the food would be out of date. This is a FAR better alternative that the dates that are printed on packets.
:-)
It is VERY important NOT to mix up "Best Before End" dates and "Display Until" dates. The "Display Until" dates are more an indicator to the shop as to when the product should be kept.
These dates are not completely useless. You can make them into a financial advantage to yourself. If you notice that a product in a shop is nearing its "Best Before" or "Display Until" date then you should be able to get a discount to the goods. Often shops will have already reduced the price for you but it is always best to try a little persuasion. After all you can only make a fool of yourself.8-)
:-(
Nowadays, best before end dates are even more ridiculous. Not only do companies put on a date when the said product will supposedly go out of date; they often now add a time to it. For example "Best Before Date- 05-11-01 17:34" This product would the go out of date on the 5th of November 2001 at 34 minutes past 5 p.m. This is obviously a pointless feature to best before dates and should be ignored. Other best before date to be ignored are:
Dates on Matches, dates on chocolate, dates on beer, dates on tinned goods, dates of most frozen foods... the list goes on and on.
My advice is to completely ignore the Best before date and use your own mental and physical assets: Smell the food, Look at the food, feel the food, think whether the food would be out of date. This is a FAR better alternative that the dates that are printed on packets.
:-)
It is VERY important NOT to mix up "Best Before End" dates and "Display Until" dates. The "Display Until" dates are more an indicator to the shop as to when the product should be kept.
These dates are not completely useless. You can make them into a financial advantage to yourself. If you notice that a product in a shop is nearing its "Best Before" or "Display Until" date then you should be able to get a discount to the goods. Often shops will have already reduced the price for you but it is always best to try a little persuasion. After all you can only make a fool of yourself.8-)
