What is the Expiry/Best Before Date?

You may be wondering how to interpret that little sticker on the bottom of our jars. No, it is not a ‘Best Before’ date. Instead it is a unique code we use to track when a product was made and which batch it came from. The code does not resemble a date so as not to be mistaken for an expiry date. ‘Best Before’ dates are not required on shelf stable products like ours, although many producers choose to use them. We feel however, the lack of regulations in Canada surrounding ‘Best Before’ dates and ‘Expiry’ dates cause far too much confusion and contributes to too many people throwing away perfectly good food. In an effort to help prevent unnecessary food waste we have opted to use batch codes rather than ‘Best Before’ dates.

So, what does this mean for you? Well, if you have forgotten about a jar in the back of your cupboard and are unsure, open it. If it smells funky or looks off, throw it out. Use your best judgment, but remember, that little sticker on the bottom was never going to tell you if a product had gone off anyway, only when it was ‘Best Before’. If you’re still unsure feel free to contact us with your batch number and we will be happy to look it up for you.