When to Throw Food Away — Expiry Date vs Best Before Date

Most people throw away perfectly good food because they misread the label. "Best before" is about quality, not safety. It means the manufacturer guarantees peak flavor and texture until that date — the food is usually still safe to eat days or even weeks after, especially dry goods, canned items, and condiments. Use your senses: if it looks normal, smells normal, and tastes normal, it almost certainly is.

"Use by" or "Expiry" dates are the ones to take seriously — these appear on perishable items like fresh meat, fish, dairy, and ready-to-eat salads where safety is a real concern. When in doubt with perishables, err on the side of caution. But for that yogurt that is two days past its best-before date? Open it, smell it, taste a tiny bit. In most cases, it is perfectly fine. Understanding this distinction alone can dramatically reduce how much food you throw away.