The Difference Between Best Before Date (BBD) and Use-By Date

June 06, 2022

At SushiSushi we believe food waste is a major issue, which is why we sell food 1 month past BBD at a discount. The products are perfectly safe to eat and will taste just as good! 

BEST BEFORE DATE:
Best before date or BBD, is about the quality of food - the food is safe to eat but may have a slightly different texture/taste. A product will remain fresh and of good quality right up to the best-before date and beyond, only if it is properly stored. The BBD is a guide on the quality of product. Example foods: frozen, tinned or dried foods. 

USE-BY DATE:
Use-by dates are all about safety - you can eat the food item up until this date but not after. Use-by products tend to go off quickly which is why it is also important to follow storage instructions, like keeping at a certain temperature in the fridge! After the use-by date, the food could be unsafe to eat or drink. Example foods: meat, fish and eggs.

Use-by date is a deadline and best before date is a more of a guideline!

Why is food waste a major issue?

The UK throws away approximately 9.5 million tonnes of food and drink every year; 670,000 of this is food that has been thrown out because food labels have been misinterpreted. This contributes heavily to the erosion of the Ozone layer and to global warming, due to the fact that food waste releases methane gas as it breaks down. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas; according to the UN Environment Programme, "over a 20-year period, it is 80 times more potent at warming than carbon dioxide." Which is why it is important to reduce our food waste!

A few top tips to reduce food waste:

• Understand food labelling (storage and use-by/bbd)
• Plan ahead (food shop and meal planning)
• Freezing food (preserve and eat later)
• Compost food scraps (reduce waste and fertiliser)

 

The majority of our products are imported from Japan, the best before date may be printed in the Japanese date format YY/MM/DD (please contact us if you are unsure). Japanese ingredients also tend to have a shorter date than many other countries due to the manufacturers wanting you to experience the product at its best condition! From a health point of view all BBD products are fine to eat for a long time after the date. 

Always check the labels on food for the use-by date, best before date as well as storage instructions. 

A variety of BBD can be found on our website, shop with us and help us make a difference reducing food waste!

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