If included, the year must appear first, followed by the month, then the day.Д®ating food that has passed the 'best before' date.

The year is optional, unless it is needed for the sake of clarity (for example, if the shelf life extends into a new calendar year).

The month must be in both official languages or indicated by using specified bilingual symbols.

If it is placed on the bottom, this has to be indicated elsewhere on the label.

The 'best before' date may appear anywhere on the package.

The 'best before' date must be identified using the words 'best before' and ' meilleur avant' grouped together with the date, unless a clear explanation of the significance of the 'best before' date appears elsewhere on the label.

How a 'best before' date is shown on a label If manufacturers and retailers choose to provide customers with this information, they must follow the required manner of declaration, as described below.

Foods with an anticipated shelf life greater than 90 days are not required to be labelled with a 'best before' date or storage information.

'Best before' dates on products with a shelf life greater than 90 days

It must be presented in the same form and manner as the 'best before' date.

The Food and Drug Regulations state the terms 'use by' and ' employez avant' may replace 'best before' for pre-packaged fresh yeast only.

Food should not be eaten if the expiration date has passed.

After the expiry date, the food may not have the same nutrient content declared on the label.

human milk substitutes (infant formula).

nutritional supplements (a food sold or represented as a supplement to a diet that may be inadequate in energy and essential nutrients).

meal replacements (a formulated food that, by itself, can replace one or more daily meals).

foods represented for use in a very low-energy diet (foods sold only by a pharmacist and only with a written order from a physician).

formulated liquid diets (a nutritionally complete diet for persons using oral or tube feeding methods).

Expiration dates must be used on the following products:.

* durable life can be expressed several ways, for example, the number of days a product will retain its freshness or may be applied as a 'best before' date.

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.

Retail-packed foods that have a durable life date of 90 days or less must be labelled with.

'Best before' dates and proper storage instructions (if they differ from normal room temperature) must appear on pre-packaged foods that will keep fresh for 90 days or less, and are packaged at a place other than the retail store from which they are sold.

However, they do give you information about the freshness and potential shelf-life of the unopened foods you are buying.

'Best before' dates do not guarantee product safety.

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

A 'best-before' date, also known as a 'durable life date', tells you when this durable life period ends.

any other qualities claimed by the manufacturer.

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

Information about dates on pre-packaged food is a valuable source of information for consumers.ДЄ basic understanding of what terms are used can help you to better understand these labels. Product category, with the expected shelf lifeДate Labelling on Pre-packaged FoodsВ (source CFIA) Now we show BB (Best Before) / MA ( Meilleur Avant (best before in French)) then YYYYMMDD Our labeling system after March 2015.В (This example is for BB/MA 2017MR20) We know it can be very confusing trying to interpret all the various date codes that are on the many different items we buy at the grocery store.Д«elow is a quick overview on how we date our products, a list (by product category, with the expected shelf life) and below that an overview by one of the agencies that we are governed by (example - CFIA).

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