Diwali Sweets and Packed Food: Best Before vs Use By vs Expiry Date, Explained
Best before, use by and expiry do not mean the same thing. Before you stock up this Diwali, here is how to read the dates on packs, sweets and gift boxes.
1 November 2026 · Updated 8 November 2026 · 5 min read
Diwali means boxes of sweets, dry fruit gift hampers and a pantry stocked for guests. It is also the week when most of us wonder: is “best before” the same as “expiry”? How long do Diwali sweets and mithai actually last? Can you eat something a day after its date?
This guide sorts out the dates you will see on an Indian food pack, what each one is meant to tell you, and what a date can never tell you. It builds on our guide to reading a food label.
The dates you will see
| Wording on the pack | What it is meant to tell you |
|---|---|
| Date of manufacture or packing | When the food was made or packed. It lets you work out how fresh it is and how much of its shelf life is left. |
| Best before | The end of the period, if the food is stored as stated, during which it should remain fully marketable and keep its expected qualities. It is mainly about quality. |
| Use by / Expiry date / Recommended last consumption date | The end of the estimated storage period, after which the food should not be sold. It is about cut-off, so treat it more strictly. |
In FSSAI’s rules, “use by”, “expiry date” and “recommended last consumption date” are treated as the same kind of date. “Best before” is a separate wording that signals quality rather than a hard stop.
Best before: quality, not a cliff
A best before date says that, until then, the product should be at its best if it has been kept properly. After it, the food may be less crisp, less fragrant or less fresh. That does not automatically make it unsafe, but it also does not promise that it is still fine. Use your judgement: check the pack is intact, check the smell and look, and be more careful with anything that spoils easily.
Use by and expiry: treat as a limit
A use by or expiry date is where the estimated storage period ends. Food that has passed it should not be sold, and you should not rely on it. This matters most for foods that spoil quickly, such as dairy, ready-to-eat meals and fresh products, and for foods meant for babies and young children.
Why the manufacture or packing date matters
The date of manufacture or packing is easy to overlook, but it is the most useful one for judging freshness. Two packs with the same best before date can be at different points in their life if one was packed a month later. Depending on the product’s shelf life, the rules allow the date to be shown in different levels of detail, so you may see a full date on one pack and only a month and year on another.
Diwali special: sweets, mithai and gift boxes
Sweets are where date-reading matters most, because they range from a few days to a few weeks depending on what they are made of.
- Milk-based sweets such as barfi, peda, rasgulla and anything made with khoya or mawa spoil fastest. Treat them as eat-soon foods and keep them cool.
- Dry or ghee-based sweets such as laddoo and many dry fruit sweets generally keep longer, but still have a limit.
- Boxed and packaged sweets should carry the full label: ingredients, the packing date, the best before or use by date, quantity and price, and an FSSAI number.
- Loose sweets are sold from a tray. FSSAI directed in 2020 that the tray or container should show the date of manufacture and a best before date. Reports differ on the current status of that direction, so simply ask the shop when it was made and how long it lasts.
For gift hampers, check the date on every item, not just the box. A hamper can mix products with very different shelf lives, and the shortest one decides how soon you need to eat or share it. If you are giving a box as a gift, check the date before you buy, not after. Worried about adulterated khoya, paneer or ghee? Read what the FSSAI festive crackdown means and how to buy safer. Wondering about the silver layer on top? See silver vark on mithai: vegetarian, safe, and what FSSAI says.
Storage conditions count
Every one of these dates assumes the food has been stored the way the pack says: sealed, away from heat and moisture, in the fridge if instructed. Once you open the pack, the clock changes. Check the label for lines like “consume within a few days of opening”, and keep the product the way the pack tells you to.
What a date cannot tell you
- Whether it was stored well. A hot warehouse or a shop shelf in direct sun can shorten a food’s real life, whatever the pack says.
- Whether it is safe if the pack is damaged. A swollen, leaking or torn pack is a reason to stop, whatever the date.
- Whether the date is right. A date is the brand’s own statement. An independent check is a different thing; see what a lab report can and cannot tell you.
- What is in the food. For that, read the ingredient list, and see what the numbers in it mean.
Five habits for the aisle
- Find the date before you put the pack in the basket, and check the wording: best before, or use by and expiry.
- Look for both the packing date and the end date, and compare packs.
- Pick fresher packs from the back of the shelf when you can.
- Check that the pack is sealed and undamaged.
- If the date is missing, smudged or looks altered, do not buy it, and tell the shop or the brand.
If you think you were sold an out-of-date product, keep the pack and the receipt, raise it with the shop and the brand first, and use FSSAI’s consumer complaint route if you do not get a reply. See also how to check an FSSAI licence number.
Date-marking rules differ by product type and have exemptions, and they have been amended over the years. For the latest official wording, see the FSSAI pages below. This guide is a plain-language introduction, not legal or medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between best before and expiry date?
“Best before” is about quality: until that date, stored as the pack says, the food should be at its best. An expiry date, also called “use by” or “recommended last consumption date”, is the end of the estimated storage period, after which the food should not be sold. Treat expiry as a limit and best before as a quality guide.
Can I eat food after its best before date?
Best before is about quality rather than a hard stop, so food may still be fine for a while if it has been stored properly and the pack is intact. Check the smell, look and texture, and be stricter with foods that spoil quickly. Do not eat food past a use by or expiry date.
How long do Diwali sweets and mithai last?
It depends on the sweet. Milk-based sweets such as barfi, peda and rasgulla spoil fastest, often within a few days. Dry and ghee-based sweets generally last longer. Always follow the date on the box, or ask the shop how long a loose sweet will keep and how to store it.
Do loose sweets need a best before date?
In 2020 FSSAI directed that the tray or container of loose sweets should display the date of manufacture and a best before date. Reports differ on the current status of that direction, so if you do not see a date, ask the shop when the sweets were made.
How do I check the expiry date on a sweet box or gift hamper?
Look for the packing date and the best before or use by date on the box and on each item inside. A gift hamper can mix products with different shelf lives, so the earliest date is the one that matters. Also check the FSSAI number and that the pack is sealed and undamaged.
What should I do if I bought expired food?
Keep the pack and the receipt, stop using the product, and raise it with the shop and the brand first. If you do not get a reply, use FSSAI’s consumer complaint route.
Sources
- FSSAI: Compendium of Labelling and Display regulations
- FSSAI: Labelling and Display regulations and amendments
- FSSAI in the news: best before date on loose sweets (The Hindu, 26 Feb 2020)
General information only, not legal or medical advice. No brand sponsored or reviewed this article.
