One look in the fridge and you see that your food has already passed its best-before date. Now you wonder if it is still edible? Do you know this scenario too? Many packaged foods end up in the rubbish, even though they are still suitable for consumption. But what does the best-before date tell us and how does it differ from the use-by date?

The best-before date ("best before") indicates the time until which the food retains its specific characteristics such as smell, taste, colour and consistency if the storage conditions are observed. After expiry of the best-before date, the food is usually still edible. Minor deviations from the original product are possible. After examining the food (trust your senses) and without obvious spoilage, the product is in most cases safe to eat. 

The use-by date ("to be consumed by") indicates until when a packaged food product can be consumed without risk to health. If a food is consumed after the use-by date, a health risk to humans cannot be ruled out and it should therefore no longer be consumed. The use-by date must be indicated on packaging of perishable food instead of the best-before date.

Secend.ch rescues food that has a short or exceeded best-before date and sells the food online at a favourable price. By working with producers and wholesalers, they manage to save large quantities of food. Through the online shop you can order products directly to your home. It gives us the opportunity to save even more food and minimise food waste in Switzerland.