Best Before dates on food and drink

[kelfoan]

Is it ok to consume food and drink after sell by date. I know it is a guide only but wondered how long after a sell by date is food/drink still ok. I brought some cans of Guiness last week with a best before date as 20/12/05. How long will it keep before the taste is compromised orit is not fit to be consumed

[lia*]

i have had guiness 2 years beyond it's exiration date and they were so good. milk and other dairy products i would be carefull.

[heathfield]

'Best Before' means what it says - after that date the taste or nutritional value may have changed, and the item will not be at its best. Its not the same as 'Use Before' - which means 'Don't use after, or there might be nasties in it that won't do you any good'.

There was a British Food Manufacturers Association dinner held many years ago, at the end of which the chairman asked the guests if they had enjoyed their food. General applause. He went on to say that every single item in the meal had been past its 'Best Before' date. This had been done to demonstrate the high quality of the food that was being produced and sold in the UK. Rapturous applause!

(Mind you, there's a suspicion that some 'Best Before' dates are too early, and that this done by producers to increase the rate of turnover in shop and stores).

[redmug100]

Best Before was introduced as a way of informing shops to rotate there stock so that the new stuff wasn't sold first. Certain foods like tea and coffee, chrisps etc loose flavour quite quickly. It is totally different to Use By dates which mean the food will start to go off after that date.