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Food Science & Technology vocabulary · Packaging and Labeling

Use-by date

Meaning in food science & technology, with examples

nounCore term

In food science & technology, use-by date means: The date on a perishable food after which it should not be eaten, because it may no longer be safe even if it looks and smells fine.

In Turkish: son tüketim tarihi, STT

How it is used

Used for foods that spoil quickly from a microbiological point of view, such as fresh meat, fish, ready meals and chilled dairy desserts. It is about safety, so selling food after its use-by date is not allowed. Packs show 'Use by' followed by a day and month.

Example sentences

  1. Chicken breast past its use-by date must be removed from the shelves and destroyed.

  2. We set the use-by date at nine days based on the challenge test results.

Common collocations

  • past its use-by date
  • set a use-by date
  • use-by date label
  • within the use-by date
  • best before dateThe date until which a food keeps its full expected quality, such as taste, texture and color, when stored correctly; after it, the food may still be safe to eat.
  • shelf lifeThe length of time a food stays safe and keeps its expected quality when it is stored under the stated conditions.
  • labelThe printed information on a food package, such as the product name, ingredients, allergens, net quantity, date mark, storage instructions and producer details.
  • cold chainThe unbroken series of refrigerated storage and transport steps that keeps chilled or frozen food at the right temperature from production to the consumer.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Packaging and Labeling

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