You can eat most foods on their use-by date, but official food-safety advice says that date is the deadline for safe eating, not a suggestion. Eating it after the use‑by date increases your risk of food poisoning, even if it looks and smells fine.

What “use by” really means

  • “Use by” is about safety , not just quality. After this date, harmful bacteria can be present even if there are no obvious signs.
  • Many food agencies sum it up as: treat “best before” as a guideline, but “use by” as a hard deadline for safety.

So, can you eat it on the day?

  • Food-safety guidance generally says it is safe to eat the product up to and including the use-by date, assuming it’s been stored exactly as instructed (usually chilled).
  • One UK food-safety authority explicitly notes that food can be eaten or cooked “until midnight on the use-by date” but not after, unless it has been correctly cooked or frozen.

When it might still be risky

Even on the use‑by date, you should be cautious if:

  • The food has not been stored correctly (e.g., left unrefrigerated, fridge too warm, packaging damaged).
  • The pack has been open longer than the label’s “consume within X days of opening” instruction. That “X days” plus the use‑by date both matter.

If any of these apply, the safety margin is already reduced.

After the use-by date

  • Official advice is clear: do not eat food after the use-by date, even if it looks and smells normal, because some dangerous bacteria don’t change smell, taste, or appearance.
  • Food businesses are not allowed to sell or serve food past its use‑by date for exactly this reason.

Freezing and leftovers

  • You can usually freeze suitable foods before the use-by date to extend their life; once defrosted, they should be cooked and eaten within the time the label or guidance states.
  • Some guidance notes that food cooked on its use‑by date can be cooled quickly, stored in the fridge, and eaten within a short, specified window afterwards, as long as good hygiene is followed.

Bottom line:
If it’s on the use‑by date, stored correctly, unopened or within its “consume within X days” window, then yes, it is generally safe to eat.

If it’s after the use‑by date, the safe choice is to bin it, even if it seems fine.

Note: This is general information, not medical advice. If you’re in a high‑risk group (pregnant, very young, elderly, or immunocompromised), it is especially important to stick strictly to use‑by dates and storage instructions.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.