A use-by date on food is not about quality like the 'best before date' but about safety. Eating food after the use-by date pauses a serious health risk.
Use-by dates have to be applied on food that goes off quickly, such as meat
products or ready-to-eat salads.
For the use-by date to be a valid guide, you must carefully follow
the food's storage instructions. For example, if the instructions on the
packaging tell you to refrigerate after opening, you should keep the
food in a fridge at 5°C or below.
You can cook food until midnight of the use-by date listed on the
product, and then cool and keep it in the fridge. This is because
cooking kills any pathogens in the food and thid gives you a little more time
to use it up. You must then eat the food within 48 hours or freeze it to eat
later.
After the use-by date, don't eat, cook or freeze your food.
