Confused about “Best Before” vs “Use By”? You’re not the only one — 2 in 5 New Zealanders aren’t sure either. That confusion contributes to households tossing out perfectly edible food every year. Let’s fix that together and solve the Great Date Debate once and for all!
Food Safety | Do not eat after this date. In New Zealand, you’ll mainly find Use-By dates on meat, seafood, some ready-to-eat chilled foods and infant formula.
Food Quality | You can eat food past this date but it might not be at its best quality. Use your senses to check if the food is safe to eat. If it looks ok, smells ok and tastes ok then you can eat it.
Your senses are your best tools to assess food past its Best Before Date. Check it, Smell it, Taste it. If it looks good, smells fine, and tastes right — it’s probably still great kai.
We hit the streets with a simple question: “What’s the difference between Use By and Best Before?!"
Hold it up: if the packaging is damaged or you spot mould, slime, an odd colour, or texture, it's time to compost or bin it.
Sniff it: if you catch any sour, rancid, or otherwise off odour, ditch it.
Taste a tiny bit: if it’s sour, off, or strange in taste, spit and discard it.
We challenge everyday Kiwis - using our Check it | Smell it | Taste it steps to see if they can pick which item is past its Best- Before date and which is perfectly good.
Got condiments, bread or a nearly-expired yoghurt? These tasty, low-waste recipes are perfect for using up food that’s still good to eat (especially if it’s past the Best Before date). Explore more here!
Make sour cream the hero in this creamy and comforting vegetarian stroganoff.
Did you know yoghurt makes pancakes extra moist and fluffy?
Use up salami, bits of cheese, milk, soft onions and stale bread to make this delicious savoury bread pudding.
Make the most of your salad greens and transform it into this creamy dip.
Create your own delicious parfait with creamy yoghurt or whipped cream and fruit layers.
Golden, fluffy bites that make the most of extra sour cream.
Super quick and easy to make and a delicious way to use up yoghurt.
Only have sweet yoghurt? No problem! Use it to make a tasty dessert pizza.
Want to try something a little different? This Japanese inspired recipe is perfect for using up cream.
The ultimate savoury twist on a classic perfect for using up those last bits of cream, cheese, and bread.
Discover everything you need to inspire your community, including free social media assets, posters and more.
Know a friend who needs some extra help understanding date labels or learning to trust their senses? Share the quiz with them on social media.
Run the quiz at your next team meeting to inspire change & help reduce food waste. Everything you need to get started is here
