The deadlines are used to guarantee the safety and the quality of the products we consume, primarily the foods, and depend on the chemical-physical and microbiological characteristics of the food and the production, conservation and distribution of the product. In short, “to be consumed by“It is used as a reference to security for fresh foods or easily perishablesuch as fresh milk or meat, which must be consumed quickly to avoid the risk of contamination. “Preferably consume by”, In English Best Befeoreinstead it is used to ensure the quality of food a low risk of contamination, such as frozen foods or long -preservation UHT milk, but which could lose some organoleptic characteristics. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) establishes i Safety parameters to be respected and the indications on how to decide between one or the other wording. However, if after the opening there is again the risk of contamination, additional indications such as “after opening in 3 days” are added, even before the expiration.
The difference between the two words is the risk of contamination
The deadlines of the food products are regulated at European level by EU 1169/2011. The expiry date, the one we find with the wording “to be consumed by the end” followed by the day, month and year (or only month and year) or with the symbol of the hourglass, is used for food ad high microbiological contamination riskwhich can represent a health risk. Therefore refer to the safety of the product. These are perishable foods in a short time, such as fresh milk or fresh meat. THE’Efsa recommends not to consume these foodsafter the expiry date.
“To be consumed preferably by/by the end”, in English Best Beforeindicates the minimum storage term (TMC) and is used for food a risk of contamination low or almost null. Often indicated with the abbreviation BBrefers to the quality of the product: after this date, the product could lose the organoleptic characteristics, like biscuits that lose fragrance, while remaining often edible And safe. Precisely for this reason, a few years ago the wording “often good beyond” was proposed in addition to the TMC, to reduce food waste, but to date the EU has not yet made a decision on the matter.
In both cases, it is fundamental that not only the distributors, but we consumers also respect the indications relating to Conditions of conservation: if on the package it is written “Store in a dark and cool place”, leaving the product next to the kitchen in front of the window would compromise its quality and safety. If the conservation conditions are not respected, the product could deteriorate even before of the expiry date or TMC. Changes in color, smell and consistency can mean that the food is no longer safe for our health.
How to establish an expiration date
To define the expiry of a product, manufacturers must carry out a risk analysis case by case, that is, for each specific product, according to its chemical features physicalmicrobiological, to factors such as the pH And the water content of the food, but also external factors such as the temperature. Not only are the starting conditions of the product, but also the processes of productioninsulting, distribution and conservation.
The monitored microorganisms that represent a danger to human health are: Salmonella SPP, Escherichia Coli, Clostridium Botulinum, Listeria MonocyTogenes, Yersinia Entertaintica, Staphylococcus Aureus And Bacillus Cereus.
Based on these assessments, the Shelf Life (shelf life) of the product: the maximum time, from production to consumption, which does not present risks for the Health or for the quality of the product. The first case corresponds to the expiry date, the second to the TMC. Beyond the shelf life, the product can no longer be marketed.
To simplify the decision -making process, the EFSA has defined a special questionnaire of 10 questions (decision tree) which, considering all the variables, allows you to identify whether for that specific product it is necessary to “to be consumed by”, or “to be consumed preferably within”.
Deadlines of meat and vegetables: let’s do some examples
In essence, if the production process allows you to Eliminate all any pathogenic microorganisms and spores (for example, through pasteurization or thermal treatments), if the product is not fertile soil for microorganisms (acid pH and low water content) and if there is no risk that they proliferate once packaged (as in frozen products), TMC is used. On the contrary, if it is not possible to eliminate pathogens and other microorganisms, the expiry date is used.
- Fresh meat: It is not subjected to thermal treatments, it is not sold frozen, it has high water content, it is fertile ground For the growth of bacteria, then the wording “to be consumed by” is used
- frozen vegetables: Even if they are not subjected to thermal treatments, freezing prevents the growth of bacteria and guarantees the microbiological safety of the product. The “to be consumed preferably within” is therefore used.
What happens when I open a product with TMC
It can be again exposed contamination or oxidation processes that can compromise quality and safety. For this reason on many products there is an indication “After opening, consume by x days“: In this case, in fact, there is no date, but a maximum number of days within which the product can be considered safe, as a sort of secondary expiry. Also in this case the EFSA has thought of a decision tree of 5 questions to answer to understand if there is a need for additional indications.
- Long conservation milk: The pasteurization process preserves its microbiological safety, for this reason it has the wording “to be consumed preferably within”, but When we open it It can be contaminated again and represent a danger to health. Then the wording is added “After opening, keep in the fridge and consume within 3-4 days”
- cookies: They are dry products (low water content), which do not undergo particular degradation processes once open and there is no need for additional indications.
