Foods with a shelf life of less than two years must have a 'best before' or 'use-by' date. These two terms mean different things.
The 'best before' date refers to the quality of the food – food stored in the recommended way will remain of good quality until that date. It may still be safe to eat certain foods after the 'best before' date, but they may have lost quality and some nutritional value.
By contrast, foods that should not be consumed after a certain date for health and safety reasons must have a 'use-by' date and cannot be sold after that date. You will find 'use-by' dates on perishables such as meat, fish and dairy products.

Some foods carry the date they were manufactured or packed, rather than a 'use-by' date. This allows you to tell how fresh the food is. For example, bread and meat can be labeled with a 'baked on' or 'packed on' date.

You should always do the following:
•    Check the 'use-by' or 'best before' date when you buy food.
•    Keep an eye on the 'use-by' or 'best before' dates on the food in your cupboards.
•    Don't eat any food that is past its 'use-by' date, even if it looks and smells okay.