Best-before information for perishable foods

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Nov 24, 2017 - Foods

Best-before information for perishable foods

According to the requirements of the Food Information Regulation (LMIV), the best-before date "is supplemented, if necessary, by a description of the storage conditions whose compliance ensures the specified durability." Indicating an exact temperature is not required. At its 79th work meeting, the ALTS dealt with the question of which storage temperature is assumed when the storage advice "cooled" is specified in connection with the BBD.

When the label says "cooled," specific requirements, such as those in product regulations, must always be observed. For dairy products (see, for example, the Cheese Ordinance, Butter Ordinance, Dairy Product Ordinance), a reference temperature of +10 °C is assumed. In the absence of such guidelines, +10 °C is also recommended for checking durability.

We therefore recommend indicating a specific temperature for chilled food - as is usually common in Germany - "best before at +7 °C."

If you have any questions, our customer service representatives will be happy to assist you.

Source: Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety: www.bvl.bund.de; ALTS resolutions of the 79th work meeting June 2017