why the best-before date doesn't tell you much

“best-before dates are not indicators of food safety, neither before nor after the date,” according to the canadian food inspection agency (cfia).

as for a best-before date, only foods that have shelf lives of 90 days or less (unopened and properly stored) are required to have one — but it’s up to the individual food manufacturer to decide what that date should be. the manufacturer may base it on how long the food will stay fresh, remain tasty or keep its nutritional value — not necessarily how long it’s safe to eat. many manufacturers also decide to provide best-before dates for foods that last longer than 90 days.

love food hate waste canada , a campaign of the national zero waste council that focuses on reducing food waste, found that during the pandemic, people are cooking at home more, doing fewer trips to the grocery store and buying more per trip. they then throw out a food primarily because they left it too long and it’s unappetizing and may not be safe to eat, or best-before date has passed.

similar findings were reported by researchers from dalhousie university: as of late august 2020, canadians were wasting 13.5 per cent more food at home since the start of the pandemic

here are some rough recommendations from second harvest on how long a food might be safe to eat past its best-before date, if unopened and stored correctly:

safe until you notice visible rot, mould or a bio-degrading smell fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, buns, and bagels.

there’s time, but not too much cakes, cookies, pies, chocolate and pudding is good for 72 hours past the best-before date, cooked luncheon meats last for one week after and it’s two weeks for dairy products like milk, yogurt, cheese and sour cream.

longer term. juice and energy drinks last three to six months, frozen ground meat should be safe at around two to three months after the best-before date while frozen fish comes in at two to six months, and frozen poultry pieces lands at six months.

up to one year. canned goods are generally okay to consume within one year, as are condiments like ketchup, mustard, relish, jam, mayonnaise, salad dressing, vinegar and soy sauce. same with frozen dinners and microwaveable meals, snacks like cookies, chips, popcorn and granola bars, and cereal, crackers, flour, oats, pasta and rice. larger cuts of frozen meat, including beef, lamb, pork and whole poultry, also fit in into this category; unlike their chopped or ground versions, they have less surface areas and so less chance of growing bacteria, plus more chance that cooking will kill that bacteria.

health canada and food banks canada offer good advice on food safety, and again, if you are still unsure, throw it out.

reduce bathroom waste, too

items frequently found in bathrooms can also go bad. sunscreens, for example, have expiration dates and may become less effective after that date. the canadian dermatology association notes, “sunscreens contain chemicals that eventually break down, compromising the effectiveness of the product, so you should not use a sunscreen after its expiry date,” the cda write on its website. a hot car or beach bag can also speed up deterioration. so it’s up to you if you want to risk that sunburn.

in canada, cosmetics don’t require expiration dates. health canada recommends you keep them dry and cool, wash your hands before using and don’t use them if you detect changes in their appearance, smell or feel.

as for that opened pain relief medication or muscle rub, the expiration dates are only meant for unopened products. health canada requires manufacturers to determine them based on how long the drug maintains its potency, purity and physical characteristics, and the date after which the manufacturer recommends the drug not be used.

a string of studies have shown that some drugs (unopened and properly stored) remain safe and effective for years — even decades — beyond their expiration dates. since 1986, the u.s. food and drug administration has been testing 122 drug products. on average, most of these were still fine to use five and a half years after their expiration dates. a british study in 2019 tested five drugs and found that, up to 4 and one-quarter years past expiry, all remained stable. shockingly, in 2012 american researchers looked at 14 drug compounds and found that some were still effective 40 years after they’d expired.