Date Marking

What is Date Marking?

Date marking refers to the mandatory display of a date on packaged food indicating either when the food is no longer safe to eat (use-by date) or when its optimal quality can no longer be guaranteed (best-before date). The requirements are set out in FSANZ Standard 1.2.5 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

Use-By vs Best-Before: the Critical Distinction

Use-by date

A use-by date must appear on food that could cause illness or injury if consumed after that date — typically because it is microbiologically perishable. Examples include raw meat, fresh dairy, chilled ready-to-eat meals, and some fresh pasta products.

Food bearing a use-by date must not be sold after that date. It is an offence to supply food past its use-by date in Australia and New Zealand. This is the harder legal line.

Best-before date

A best-before date indicates the date until which, when stored correctly, the food will retain its specific properties — taste, texture, appearance, and nutritional value. After the best-before date, the food may still be safe to eat but may have declined in quality.

Unlike use-by dates, food may legally be sold after its best-before date in Australia, though it may no longer accurately represent the quality claims on the label. Many retailers nonetheless choose not to sell food past its best-before date for commercial reasons.

Which date applies?

The choice of use-by or best-before depends on the food's shelf stability and the safety risk after expiry. Standard 1.2.5 provides guidance: use-by is used where the food is hazardous beyond the date; best-before is used where the concern is quality rather than safety. When in doubt, choose use-by — it is always the safer compliance position.

Date Format Requirements

Standard 1.2.5 prescribes how dates must be displayed:

• "Use By [day] [month] [year]" or "Use By [month] [year]" depending on the shelf life
• "Best Before [day] [month] [year]" or "Best Before End [month] [year]"
• The year must appear as four digits
• The month may be abbreviated (e.g., Jan, Feb) or written in full

The date may appear on any part of the label, but it must be legible and located so that a consumer can read it without opening the packaging.

Foods Exempt from Date Marking

Standard 1.2.5 exempts some foods from date marking requirements, including:

• Fresh fruit and vegetables that are not cut or sprouted
• Confectionery (excluding chocolate)
• Biscuits and crackers if shelf life exceeds two years
• Ice from water
• Vinegar
• Foods in packages with a total surface area of less than 100 cm²

Common Mistakes

Using use-by when best-before is sufficient. This is not technically wrong but may have commercial implications — strict use-by dates can create unnecessary waste and returns. Conduct a proper shelf-life study before assigning a date.

Incorrect format. Using only two-digit years ("24" instead of "2024") or omitting the day on products with a short shelf life does not comply with Standard 1.2.5.

Failing to link date to storage conditions. If your product's shelf life is conditional on specific storage conditions ("Keep refrigerated"), those conditions must appear in conjunction with the date.

How Batchbase Uses Date Marking Data

When you create a batch in Batchbase, the production date and target best-before or use-by date are recorded against the batch record, creating a complete shelf-life audit trail for each production run.

Related Standards and References

• FSANZ Standard 1.2.5 — Date marking of food for sale
• FSANZ Standard 1.2.6 — Directions for use and storage (storage conditions linked to date)
• FSANZ food standards code