Best before does not mean bad after.
Each year, misinterpretation of Best Before Dates (BBDs) causes billions of dollars’ worth of perfectly edible food to go to waste. It’s time to clear the confusion: to save money and prevent the harmful impacts of food waste.
In our groundbreaking research, The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste: Update, Second Harvest uncovered that 23% of avoidable food waste from processing to purchasing—worth $12.4 billion annually—is caused by the misuse and misunderstanding of Best Before Dates. These labels, originally intended to guide quality, now contribute to massive amounts of perfectly good food going to waste.
Read the REPORT
They are manufacturer and retailer estimates of peak quality, not expiration dates. Despite this, millions of Canadians are throwing away edible food, wasting an average of $289 per household annually.
Introduced in Canada in 1976, best before dates were initially meant for food items with a shelf life of 90 days or less. Today, despite being unregulated and unnecessary for products lasting over 90 days, they appear on nearly all shelf-stable products, from canned goods to dried pasta, cereals and even salt.
In fact, there are only five products in Canada that have an actual expiration date. They are oral nutrition supplements, human milk substitutes, foods for low-calorie diets, meal replacements and formulated liquid diets.
Rethink Best Before Dates.
Remember, these dates are about quality, not safety.
Educate yourself and others.
Learn to recognize when food is truly unsafe to eat. Leverage our guide on consuming food safely beyond a best before date, here.
Support advocacy efforts.
Join our campaign to urge the government to reform date labelling practices in Canada. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements on our efforts.
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