Showing the year is only mandatory when its declaration is needed for the sake of clarity (for example, when the durable life goes into the next year). In displaying the actual date, the year is shown first. The words and symbols associated with the packaging date are the same as those prescribed for the durable life date except that the words 'packaged on' and ' empaqueté le' replace 'best before' and ' meilleur avant'. Manner of declaring Formatĭurable life dates must be identified using the words 'best before' and ' meilleur avant'. If manufacturers and retailers choose to provide customers with this information, they must follow the required manner of declaring. prepackaged individual servings of food prepared by a commissary Footnote 1 and sold in automatic vending machines or mobile canteens (for example, sandwiches), andįoods with a shelf life greater than 90 days (for example, cereals, semi-dry cured or dry cured sausage, etc.) are not required to be labelled with a 'best before' date and storage instructions or a packaging date and durable life information.prepackaged individual portions of food served by restaurants, airlines or other commercial enterprises with meals or snacks (such as milk, cheese packets) as they are intended for immediate consumption.prepackaged fresh fruits and vegetables (including prepackaged, chopped or shredded fresh fruit and vegetables).

The following foods are exempt from the requirement to be labelled with a durable life date or packaging date : Some of its nutritional value, such as vitamin C content, may also be lost. When this date has passed, the food may lose some of its freshness and flavour, or its texture may have changed. Products may be found for sale after the 'best before' date has passed as the date is based on freshness and quality, rather than safety. It applies to unopened products only once opened, the shelf life of a food may change. A durable life date is not an indicator of food safety, neither before nor after the date. Note: all foods sold in Canada must be safe for consumption. The durable life of products or categories is not prescribed in regulation.Īny changes made to the durable life information that result in false or misleading information on the label are prohibited by subsection 5(1) of the Food and Drugs Act (FDA). It is the responsibility of the regulated party to determine if the product has a durable life of 90 days or less and the specific durable life information for the products they sell. Refer to Manner of declaring for more information. Note: the FDR specify the manner in which date markings must be declared. In these situations, consumers will be referred to the retailer to provide this information. It should be noted that consumers sometimes contact the CFIA seeking 'packaged on' date information when a durable life date is used at retail. The above flexibility for food packed at retail reflects the intent of the 'packaged on' date requirement, which is to give retailers an alternative, but equally effective, method to express the 'best before' date on foods the retailer may not have manufactured. the durable life of the food on the label or on a poster next to the food.the packaging date (known as 'packaged on' date), and.Prepackaged food with a durable life of 90 days or less and packaged on the retail premises from which it is sold may be labelled with either: storage instructions (if they differ from normal room temperature).a durable life date (known as 'best before' date), and.Prepackaged food with a durable life of 90 days or less and packaged at a place other than the retail premises from which it will be sold must be labelled with : Foods packaged at a place other than the retail premises For foods with a durable life greater than 90 days, refer to Voluntary declaration. The Food and Drugs Regulations (FDR) require prepackaged products with a durable life of 90 days or less to be labelled with date markings and storage instructions (where applicable). Low-acid foods packaged in hermetically sealed containers.'Prepared on', 'Freeze by', 'Manufactured on' dates.'Use by' dates on prepackaged fresh yeast.Expiration dates on foods for special dietary use and infant formula foods.Date marking information on specific products.Foods packaged at a place other than the retail premises.Date markings and storage instructions on food labels On this page

What does use by mean on a food label