Michel’s Patisserie face possible investigation for claims of Use By extensions

A national patisserie chain drew public criticism after operators were reportedly told to extend the use-by dates on cakes and other goods by several months. The episode is a reminder of why date marking matters, and why it is governed by law.

Use-by dates must be applied to foods that need to be eaten before a certain time for health or safety reasons. Foods should not be eaten after the use-by date, and under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, Standard 1.2.5, date marking of food for sale it is against the law to sell them after that date, because they may pose a health or safety risk.

Foods that don’t present a safety risk are normally labelled with a best-before date. Foods with a best-before date can legally be sold after that date provided they remain fit for human consumption, although they may have lost some quality.

The lesson for any food business is that date marking is a controlled food-safety decision, not a commercial convenience. A robust HACCP or ISO 22000 food safety system builds the validation, shelf-life evidence and traceability that keep date marking defensible, and protect both customers and the brand.

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