Use-By Date
Definition
A date marking on food labels indicating the last date on which the food may be safely consumed. After the use-by date, the food must not be sold or consumed.
Key Takeaways
- •Use-by dates mark a food safety limit — it is illegal to sell food past its use-by date under Australian food law
- •Required under FSANZ Standard 1.2.5 on foods that are microbiologically perishable and may cause illness if consumed after the date
- •Foods with use-by dates include fresh meat, dairy products, seafood, prepared meals, and other high-risk perishables
- •Unlike best-before dates, use-by dates are absolute — the food must not be consumed or sold even if it looks and smells acceptable
- •Use-by dates must be validated by microbiological shelf life testing — the testing must reflect worst-case storage and temperature abuse scenarios
Regulatory Source
- Standard 1.2.5— Date marking of food for sale — a use-by date is mandatory on foods that are unsafe to consume after that date; food must not be sold past this date
Last verified against current standards: April 2026
Regulatory authority: Food Standards Australia New Zealand
What is a Use-By Date?
A use-by date marks the last date a food is safe to eat. Under FSANZ Standard 1.2.5, food past its use-by date must not be sold or supplied — retailers must remove it from sale, and consumers should not consume it. The use-by date is mandatory on foods where the shelf life is relatively short and safety (not just quality) degrades over time.
The legal distinction from best-before is critical: "best-before" signals quality degradation; "use-by" signals a potential food safety risk. Food past its best-before date can legally be sold; food past its use-by date cannot.
Foods Requiring Use-By vs Best-Before
Use-by date required for:
- Ready-to-eat foods with a short shelf life (e.g. deli items, prepared salads, chilled ready meals)
- Foods where pathogenic microorganisms are likely to grow (e.g. chilled meat, seafood, dairy-based products)
- Foods where safety risk increases over time
Best-before date typically used for:
- Shelf-stable products (biscuits, jams, canned goods)
- Frozen products
- Products where quality (not safety) is the limiting factor
Use-By Date Format Under Standard 1.2.5
FSANZ specifies the exact format for use-by dates:
- Format: "Use by" (or "Consume by") followed by day-month-year (e.g. "Use by 15-08-2024")
- Placement: Prominently displayed on the principal display panel
- Legibility: Minimum font size determined by pack size
The use-by date must account for: (1) the actual shelf life of the product (determined by stability testing); (2) a buffer for distribution and retail display time; and (3) typically a small safety margin.
Use-By Dates in Practice for Australian Food Manufacturers
What determines use-by dating? The manufacturer must conduct or obtain stability testing that shows when the product reaches unsafe microbiological levels (e.g. when Listeria monocytogenes would grow to an unacceptable level, or when spoilage organisms reach detectable levels). This testing determines the actual shelf life. The use-by date is then set conservatively within this tested shelf life.
Common mistakes:
Setting use-by dates on products that should have best-before dates. Some manufacturers use use-by dates on all products as a precaution. While conservative, this is not required by Standard 1.2.5 and may alarm consumers unnecessarily.
Not updating use-by dates when processing or recipes change. If you change pasteurisation temperature, change storage conditions, or change a preservative system, the safety profile changes. Re-test shelf life before changing use-by dating.
Not accounting for distribution time. If you date a chilled product "use by 21 days from production" but distribution takes 3 days and retail shelf time is another 4 days, consumers have only 14 days to consume the product at home — potentially insufficient for typical consumption. Use-by dates should account for realistic supply chain timing.
Worked example: A Melbourne ready-meal manufacturer produces a chilled lasagne. Stability testing shows pathogenic growth becomes concerning at 18 days under abuse conditions (slightly above recommended refrigeration). They set the use-by date at 14 days from production to provide a 4-day safety buffer, accounting for the possibility of slightly warmer storage in the supply chain or consumer's fridge.
How Batchbase Handles Use-By Dating
When you set up a product in Batchbase with a shelf life designation (chilled, frozen, ambient), the system automatically calculates and displays the use-by date when a batch is produced. This date can be printed directly onto packaging, reducing dating errors.
Related Standards and References
- FSANZ Standard 1.2.5 — Date marking of food for sale
- FSANZ food standards code
Related Terms
Best-Before Date
A date marking on food labels indicating the date until which the food will remain at its best quality if properly stored. Food may still be safe to consume after this date.
Date Marking
The use of best-before or use-by dates on food packaging. Use-by dates indicate food safety limits and must not be exceeded. Best-before dates indicate quality and the food may still be safe after the date.
Food Safety Program
A documented system based on HACCP principles that identifies food safety hazards and establishes controls to manage them, required for most food businesses in Australia.