Eating Food After the Use-By Date: How Risky Is It When Money Is Tight?

When household budgets are under pressure, throwing away food can feel like throwing away money. For many people, the decision becomes especially difficult when a packet of chicken, a ready meal or a carton of dairy reaches its use-by date.

Recent figures from the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) highlight just how common this problem has become. Six in 10 people surveyed said they or someone in their household had eaten food beyond its use-by date to save money. The figure shows that food safety is not simply a matter of personal choice. For some households, it is increasingly connected to the rising cost of living.

But how dangerous is it to eat food after its use-by date? And can you rely on smell, appearance or taste to decide whether something is still safe?

Use-by and best-before dates mean different things

One of the most important things consumers can learn is the difference between a use-by date and a best-before date.

A best-before date is mainly about food quality. After that date, a product may lose some of its flavour, texture or freshness, but it is not automatically unsafe to eat if it has been stored correctly.

A use-by date is different. It relates to food safety and is used for foods that can become unsafe relatively quickly, particularly chilled products such as meat, fish and some ready-to-eat foods.

The FSA advises consumers not to eat food after its use-by date, even if it looks or smells normal. That is because harmful bacteria can sometimes be present without producing an obvious change in appearance, smell or taste.

This is why the traditional "sniff test" is not a reliable food safety test for products carrying a use-by date.

Why are people taking the risk?

The answer is partly financial.

Food prices have risen substantially over recent years, meaning that even when inflation slows, supermarket shopping can remain much more expensive than it was several years ago. A family facing a tight weekly budget may find it difficult to throw away food simply because a date has passed.

Discounted products can make the situation more complicated. Reduced-price meat, fish and prepared foods can offer significant savings, but they may have only a short amount of time remaining before their use-by date.

Consumers therefore face a difficult calculation: eat the food quickly, freeze it where appropriate, throw it away or take a chance by eating it later.

Research commissioned by the FSA has found that people sometimes develop their own rules for deciding whether food is safe. They may inspect its colour, smell it, taste a small amount or cook it for longer.

Unfortunately, these methods cannot guarantee safety.

Can cooking make expired food safe?

Cooking can destroy many harmful bacteria, but it does not mean that every food becomes safe simply because it has been heated.

The risk depends on the type of food, how it was handled, how long it has been stored and the temperature at which it was kept.

Raw chicken, for example, should always be cooked thoroughly before eating. However, poor storage or cross-contamination can create risks before the cooking stage.

Other foods may present a different problem because they are eaten without further cooking. Chilled ready-to-eat foods, including some cooked meats and smoked fish, can be associated with bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes.

Listeria is particularly concerning because it can grow at refrigerator temperatures. Although serious listeria infections are uncommon, they can cause severe illness, particularly among older people, pregnant women, newborn babies and people with weakened immune systems.

That is one reason food safety guidance recommends taking use-by dates seriously rather than relying on personal judgement.

What about food that is only one day out of date?

There is no universal "safe number of days" after a use-by date.

A common assumption is that one day beyond the date is probably harmless, while several days is dangerous. In reality, food safety does not work according to such a simple timetable.

The use-by date is established based on factors including the product, production process, packaging and expected storage conditions. Once the date has passed, consumers cannot know precisely how much additional risk exists.

That does not mean every product becomes dangerous at midnight on its use-by date. It means there is no reliable way for a consumer to determine that a particular food remains safe after the date simply by looking at it.

The safest approach is to eat or freeze suitable food before the use-by date.

Fridge temperature matters too

Correct refrigeration is another important part of food safety.

A refrigerator should generally be kept at 5°C or below, according to UK food safety guidance. If a fridge is warmer than recommended, bacteria can multiply more quickly, potentially reducing the safe storage life of chilled food.

It is also important to avoid leaving perishable food at room temperature for long periods. Raw meat should be kept separate from ready-to-eat food, and surfaces, utensils and hands should be cleaned after handling raw ingredients.

These basic habits can reduce the risk of food poisoning without increasing the weekly shopping bill.

How to reduce food waste without ignoring safety advice

Following use-by dates does not have to mean throwing away large amounts of food.

Planning meals before shopping can help households buy only what they are likely to use. Consumers can also freeze suitable foods before their use-by date and follow the storage instructions on the packaging.

Buying reduced food can still be a good way to save money. The key is to check the date before purchasing and consider whether the product can realistically be eaten or frozen in time.

For foods carrying a best-before date, consumers generally have more flexibility. Instead of automatically throwing them away, they can assess quality and use their judgement, provided the food has been stored correctly and the product is suitable for consumption.

The bigger issue is affordability

The growing number of people eating food beyond use-by dates is ultimately about more than food safety knowledge.

Most consumers understand that dates matter. The problem is that financial pressure can make the safest option feel unaffordable.

A household may know that it should discard expired chicken but still hesitate when replacing it means spending money that was not available in the first place. That tension helps explain why risky food practices can persist even when official advice is widely understood.

Food safety guidance therefore needs to sit alongside wider efforts to make nutritious food affordable and reduce unnecessary waste.

For consumers, the simplest rule remains the safest one: use-by means safety, while best-before is mainly about quality. Do not rely on smell or appearance to decide whether food past a use-by date is safe. Where possible, plan meals, use or freeze food before its use-by date and keep chilled food properly refrigerated.

Saving money on groceries matters, but food poisoning can carry its own costs, including illness, missed work and, in vulnerable people, potentially serious complications.

Sources

The Independent, alongside food safety guidance from the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and general UK food safety principles.

Disclaimer: This article is for general information and educational purposes only. It is not medical or professional food-safety advice and should not replace guidance from the Food Standards Agency, a qualified healthcare professional or another appropriate authority. People who are pregnant, elderly, immunocompromised or otherwise at increased risk from foodborne illness should take particular care with food safety and follow official guidance.