One of the most infuriating experiences for shoppers is purchasing fresh produce, only to have it spoil the very next day. With supermarkets often neglecting to include best before or sell by dates on fruits and vegetables, it can be challenging to determine the shelf life of these items.
It’s essential to understand the distinction between use-by and best before dates. The former pertains to food safety, and one should steer clear of consuming products after this date, even if their appearance and aroma seem normal, to avoid potential illness.
Typically, high-risk perishable items such as meat products and pre-packaged salads are stamped with use-by dates.
In contrast, best before dates, sometimes abbreviated as BBE (best before end), are linked to food quality rather than safety. Even after the stated date, the product may still be edible but could have compromised freshness.
Non-perishable goods like frozen, dried, and canned foods often carry best before dates.
However, there are still gaps in information, and shoppers can be left uncertain about when their fresh produce might go bad. Recognising the detrimental impact of food waste on household budgets, supermarkets are implementing alternative labelling systems, often in the form of codes, on fruits and vegetables.
Fortunately, a chance encounter in a supermarket has led to the circulation of valuable information that some claim has been “life-saving” in assisting shoppers in selecting the freshest fruits available. Channon Mooney ignited TikTok with her revelation of recently discovering some “life-changing, top secret information”.
“I’m hoping it’s not common knowledge and I’ve just put you onto something here,” she remarked, hinting at a groundbreaking discovery. Channon then showcased several packets of fruit and veg from her refrigerator, including peppers, grapes, and asparagus.
She claimed to have “cracked the code” for deducing the expiration dates of produce, even in the absence of explicit use-by or sell-by labels.
Channon shared: “In Asda yesterday we heard a worker tell someone this. They don’t have the dates on them anymore, but see how it says F2? And this says E31.”
She elaborated that since F is the sixth letter in the alphabet, it represents June, the sixth month.
The following number indicates the specific date in the month. For instance, F2 translates to June 2, while E31 points to May 31.
Channon also held up a packet labelled F4, signifying June 4.
“If anyone wants to find better dates on their food, that is the code. That is the secret information. I’m actually mind-blown.”
Unsurprisingly, Channon wasn’t alone in her lack of knowledge about this handy tip.
“I needed this! Thank you,” exclaimed one user. “Sorry this is groundbreaking!” another chimed in.
A third added: “Omg! Mind-blown.”
But there were some clued-up commenters who found the trick less than revelatory. “I thought this was common knowledge,” admitted one individual.
“This is common knowledge, from an ex Sainsbury’s and Tesco employee,” another person chimed in. Meanwhile, another user shed light on the reason behind this practice: “They took the dates off to reduce food waste, too many people were using the dates to determine its condition rather than looking/smelling.”