USE-BY DATE

noun phrase (Lifestyle and Leisure) A date marked on a food package or other perishable goods (usually preceded by the words 'use by') to show the latest time by which the contents should be used to avoid risk of deterioration. Etymology: Formed by compounding: the date by which the contents should be used. History and Usage: Use-by dates have been in use on food packages in the US since at least the beginning of the eighties, and started to replace best before dates in the UK in the middle of the decade. The use-by date is considered less ambiguous than a best before date in that it sounds more imperative (implying that the food will not only be less enjoyable after the date, but could actually constitute a health risk). For this reason, stricter legislation on the use of use-by dates was proposed in the UK in 1990 as part of a range of measures designed to allay public fears about food safety in the late eighties. The food is delivered the day it is made and marked with a 'use-by' date four days from preparation, although unsold items are pulled two days after being delivered to the kiosk. Washington Post 17 Feb. 1985, section K, p. 5 New legislation is to be introduced to replace sell-by dates with more helpful use-by dates. Which? Apr. 1990, p. 205