Best before date
The best-before date ( best before date ) is a mandatory labeling element that, according to harmonized EU law and Swiss law, must be indicated on prepackaged foods. It specifies the date by which a food can be consumed in any case without any significant loss of taste, quality or health risk if it is properly stored (in particular, the storage temperature specified in connection with the best- before date ). Since it is a best before date and not a use- by date , the food can usually still be consumed after the specified date.
Similarly cosmetic products that are no longer than two and a half year shelf life, according to the Cosmetics Directive to be marked with a best before date.
The determination of the best-before date is at the discretion of the manufacturer. It is possible that similar products from different manufacturers have different best-before dates. In Austria in 2017, it was criticized that a manufacturer provides different pack sizes of a product with different time limits or also those for export with a longer time limit in order to meet retailer requirements.
The use-by period for plant protection products is regulated in the Plant Protection Act.
Minimum shelf life and maximum shelf life
In the microbiological point of highly perishable foods that could pose an immediate danger to human health after a short period (. Eg ground beef ), instead of the date of minimum durability ( "best before" date), the use-by date ( 'use by : “Date). In everyday, imprecise language usage, the best before date and use-by date are often equated with food. The durability is determined with a durability test.
After expiration
The consumer must expect that the food is no longer fully meets his expectations after the expiration. The following are conceivable:
- Change in flavor
- Change in consistency
- Dehydration
- Infestation with bacteria with or without poison formation (e.g. meat )
- Infestation with molds (with poison formation)
- Putrefaction
In the first cases, the consumption of the product is usually harmless, while rot, bacterial or fungal attack poses a health risk.
The best before date only applies to packs that are still originally sealed. Opening it means that oxygen, moisture or microorganisms have access to the food and thus cause or accelerate its spoilage.
Legal
Neither the best-before date nor the use-by date can be used to legally derive a claim if the product can no longer be consumed before the specified date and the manufacturer can prove the reliability of the information provided. Products with an expired best-before date may continue to be sold provided the seller is satisfied that the goods are faultless. Accordingly, it can be deduced from this that the customer has no claim for damages if he purchases a product with an expired best-before date without intent, provided that the product can still be regarded as flawless. Products with an expired best-before date can generally still be processed, whereby the processor may expose himself to a higher risk of being prosecuted in the event of damage.
In Austria, the following applies: "If the best-before period has already expired, this fact must be made clear and generally understandable."
In contrast to products with a best-before date, products with a use-by date may no longer be sold after the expiry date. Consumption is also not recommended, as there are increased health risks, especially with food.
If it often happens with a food that the product is no longer edible before the expiry of the best-before date, the authority responsible for food monitoring should be notified. As a rule, the manufacturer is then asked to carry out new shelf life tests and to check and, if necessary, correct the best before date.
Since the best before date or the use-by date refer to a certain temperature, storage at lower temperatures can in some cases significantly extend the shelf life. Simply reducing the refrigerator temperature from +7 ° C to +5 ° C means that dairy products in particular can usually be consumed more than a week beyond their best-before date without any problems.
In the European Union, the best before date for food is regulated in Annex X of the Food Information Regulation and for cosmetics in Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 on cosmetic products . Previously, Section 7 LMKV (Food Labeling Ordinance ) and Section 5 Cosmetics Ordinance applied to Germany .
Regulations
- The best-before date must be stated unencrypted with the words "best before ..." and the day, month and year.
- The day, month and year can also be stated elsewhere if this point is indicated in connection with the information "Best before ..." (e.g. see bottom / bottle neck / lid or similar).
- Deviating from this can
- the year does not apply if the minimum shelf life is not more than three months
- the day does not apply if the minimum shelf life is more than three months
- the day and month are omitted if the best-before date is more than 18 months, but then the best-before date must be specified unencrypted with the words "best before the end ...".
If the best-before date is specified unencrypted, stating the day, month and year, this can replace the legally required lot number ( Section 2 LKV ).
Products without a best-before date
According to the LMKV, it is not necessary to specify the best-before date for:
"1. Fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and potatoes, not peeled, cut or similarly treated, with the exception of germs from seeds and similar products, such as sprouts from legumes,
2. beverages with an alcohol content of ten or more percent by volume,
3. non-alcoholic soft drinks, fruit juices, fruit nectars and are determined alcoholic beverages in containers of more than five liters, intended for delivery to consumers in terms of § 1 para. 1, sentence 2,
4 ice cream in sachets
5. baked goods that consumed by their nature, usually within 24 hours after their production are
sixth table salt , except iodized salt,
7 sugar in solid form
, 8. confectionery products consisting almost only consist of sugars flavorings or colorings or flavorings and colorings
9. chewing gum and similar chewing products,
sparkling wine similar 10 wine-like and Beverages and alcoholic beverages processed from them. "
history
The best before date for food has been stipulated in Germany since the LMKV came into force on December 22, 1981, and in Austria accordingly in LMKV (Federal Law Gazette II No. 165/2008) § 4 on the labeling of packaged goods.
As early as December 5, 1963, MP Hella Hanzlik (SPÖ) in the Austrian National Council demanded clear labeling: “In Sweden there has been a semi-state institute for conservation research since 1946 and an office for the deep-freezing industry since 1953. Austria consumes (presumably: 1962) only 0.8 kg of frozen fruit per capita, Sweden and Great Britain already use 8 kg, the USA 23.5 kg. Consumers demand… that perishable foods are clearly labeled. Any encoded freshness date and blurred labels such as 'Determined to be used soon' must now give way to clear declarations. "
Criticism and reform proposals
The best before date can lead to food waste. The minister at the time, Christian Schmidt, complained that many foods with an expired best-before date, but which would actually still be edible, were thrown away by consumers because consumers would misunderstand the best-before date as an expiration date. The initiative "Too good for the bin" of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture is therefore firstly intended to educate consumers about the differences between the two dates and, secondly, to expand the list of those foods for which no best-before date is stipulated. The umbrella organization of panels informs consumers in a campaign about how long various food groups can be enjoyable on the expiration date. In addition, the association demands early nutrition education, which should become part of the school curricula. This should enable consumers to assess the quality of a food independently of the best before date. It is also necessary to reduce legal uncertainties when handling food whose best-before date has passed in order to make it easier for donors to pass it on to organizations such as the food banks. The environmental protection organization WWF also calls for products to be given a date of manufacture, so that the best-before date previously assigned by the manufacturers at their own discretion can be checked.
See also
- Rolling of goods
- Expiry date for medication ("use by")
- Period of use or period after opening for cosmetics
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b consumer portal Baden-Württemberg
- ↑ Austrian version, PDF file 82 kB, accessed on September 5, 2013
- ↑ Ordinance of the FDHA on the labeling and advertising of food , Art. 11.
- ↑ Directive 76/768 / EEC of the Council of July 27, 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to cosmetic products; Consolidated version of April 24, 2008 (PDF) .
- ↑ Arbitrary use-by date for milk and co orf.at, August 24, 2017, accessed August 24, 2017.
- ↑ Stenographic protocol ( memento of the original from September 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , 36th session of the National Council of the Republic of Austria, Xth legislative period, December 5, 1963, Vienna, pp. 1895f.
- ↑ Food waste - best before date - without in future? In: Deutschlandfunk . ( deutschlandfunk.de [accessed on March 25, 2018]).
- ↑ Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture: Initiative "Too good for the bin". Retrieved March 25, 2018 .
- ↑ The best before date. Retrieved January 19, 2020 .
- ^ Tafel Deutschland eV: Position paper on the best before date (best before date) and on the appreciation of food. May 9, 2019, accessed January 19, 2020 .
- ↑ tons for the ton . March 25, 2018 ( wwf.de [accessed March 25, 2018]).
Web links
- Script for the WDR broadcast Quarks - Best before ( Memento from January 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF file; 1.13 MB)
- Systematic overview of the shelf life of various foods
- Overview of the most common foods and their best before dates ( Memento from December 29, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
