"Best-before" date

A "best-before" date, also known as a durable life date, tells you when the durable life period of a prepackaged food ends.

Durable life means the anticipated amount of time that an unopened food product, when stored under appropriate conditions, will retain its:

• freshness,
• taste,
• nutritional value, or
• any other qualities claimed by the manufacturer.

This information is usually found on the label with the words "best before" and "meilleur avant".

The best-before date indicates to consumers that if the product has been properly handled (stored under conditions appropriate to that product), the unopened product should be of high quality until the specified date.

Best-before dates do not guarantee product safety. However, they do give you information about the freshness and potential shelf-life of the unopened foods you are buying.

It is important to note that a best-before date is not the same as an expiration date.