The best-before date of a food product is defined in Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 (Food Information Regulation, FIR) as the date until which the food retains its specific properties under proper storage conditions. The manufacturer thus guarantees that the food will have the same quality as when it leaves the company up to this point.

According to FIR, this is a mandatory indication on the labeling of prepackaged food. Annex X of the FIR specifies how the best-before date is to be stated:

1. The date consists of the day, month, and, where applicable, the year in this order. If the shelf life is less than three months, indicating the day and month suffices. For foods with a shelf life of three to eighteen months, indicating the month and year is sufficient. Foods with a shelf life of more than eighteen months only need to be marked with the year.
2. The date must be preceded by "best before..." if the day is stated, and "best before end..." in all other cases.
3. A note indicating where to find the date on the label is possible (e.g., "best before: see lid").
4. The best-before date must be supplemented by the storage conditions if these are necessary to guarantee the stated shelf life.

 

Exemptions from the requirement to provide a best-before date are granted for the following foods:

• untreated fresh fruits and vegetables, including potatoes but not sprouts of seeds and similar products
• wine, liqueur wines, sparkling wines, aromatized wines, and similar products from fruits other than grapes, as well as beverages obtained from wine grapes or grape must
• beverages with an alcohol content of 10 or more percent by volume
• bakery products that are consumed within 24 hours of manufacture
• vinegar
• table salt
• sugar and sugar confectionery
• chewing gum

If you have any questions, our customer advisors are happy to assist you.