Food and everyday shopping
“Best before” and “use by” mean different things. Also read the storage instructions.
Goal: understand the basics and find the right official help route.
Translated from Swedish. Always rely on the Swedish text and the official source.
Show the original Swedish text
Mat och vardagsinköp
Bäst före och sista förbrukningsdag betyder olika saker. Läs också förvaringsanvisningen.
- Bäst före anger förväntad kvalitet, inte en automatisk gräns för när all mat blir farlig.
- Rätt förvarad mat kan vara ätbar efter bäst före.
- Mat med sista förbrukningsdag anses inte säker efter passerat datum.
- Förvaringstemperaturen påverkar hållbarheten.
- Gravida, äldre och personer med nedsatt immunförsvar behöver särskilda råd för vissa livsmedel och listeria.
- Läs vilken datummärkning maten har.
- Följ förvaringsanvisningen.
- Använd, tillaga eller frys in senast sista förbrukningsdagen och följ riskgruppsråd där det behövs.
Lukt och utseende garanterar inte säkerhet. Råd om bäst före får inte användas för passerad sista förbrukningsdag eller ersätta riskgruppsråd.
Good to know
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“Best before” (bäst före) shows expected quality, not an automatic limit for when all food becomes dangerous.
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Food that has been stored correctly can be edible after the best-before date.
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Food with a “use by” date (sista förbrukningsdag) is not considered safe after that date.
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Storage temperature affects how long food keeps.
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Pregnant people, older people and people with weakened immune systems need special advice for certain foods and listeria.
Three steps to get started
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Read which date marking the food has.
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Follow the storage instructions.
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Use, cook or freeze food no later than its use-by date. Follow advice for risk groups when needed.
A practical checklist to try. It does not add any legal requirements.
Important distinctions
Food can look and smell normal without being safe. Best-before advice does not apply after a use-by date. It does not replace advice for risk groups.
Practice question
Show the right answer and explanation
B. No, they have different meanings.
Best before is mainly about quality; use by applies to perishable food and safety.
This question is practice, not a test. Answers are not saved.
Sources
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Livsmedelsverket
Vad betyder datummärkningen? (opens in a new tab)“Livsmedel som är märkta med sista förbrukningsdag anses inte vara säkra att äta efter att sista förbrukningsdag har passerats.”
Checked . Check the source again before you act. Rules and contact routes can change.
In depth
Modules and guides
11 modules in this area. Everyone can read the modules marked Free. The rest are part of Premium.
11 modules in this area. You have Premium and can read everything.
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Plan your food shopping and compare prices
Check what you have at home, write a list and compare prices per kilo or litre.
Plan your food shopping and compare prices. Check what you have at home, write a list and compare prices per kilo or litre.Check what you have at home first
Livsmedelsverket (the Swedish Food Agency) gives advice about food in Sweden. It says you should look in your cupboards, fridge and freezer often. If you plan what to buy before you shop, you do not have to throw away as much food.
- Pick a regular day to check your cupboards, fridge and freezer.
- Put food with a best-before date that will soon pass at the front, so you can reach it easily.
- Write a shopping list based on what you already have.
Buy the right amount
- Do not buy more food than you can eat. This is especially true for fruit and vegetables that do not last long.
- Buy small amounts of vegetables often, not large amounts rarely.
- Split large packs into smaller parts. Freeze what you do not eat within a few days.
Unit price: price per kilo or litre
Under the Price Information Act (prisinformationslagen), goods in shops must show both the price and the unit price. The unit price is the price per kilo, litre or another common measure. It is often on the shelf edge.
The unit price helps you see which product is really cheapest, even when the packs are different sizes. A large pack is not always the cheapest per kilo.
Tip: Compare the unit price, not only the price on the pack. A cheap product that you do not eat in time is still expensive.
The price must be clear
The price must be the final price in Swedish kronor, with VAT included. If there are extra fees, for example for home delivery, they must be clearly shown.
Sources
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Labels and ingredients
What must always be on the package, how you read the ingredient list and what Nyckelhålet [the Swedish healthy-food label] means.
This module is only available in Swedish for now.
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Labels and ingredients. What must always be on the package, how you read the ingredient list and what Nyckelhålet [the Swedish healthy-food label] means.Färdigförpackad mat och lösvikt Locked
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Det här ska alltid stå på förpackningen Locked
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Så läser du ingredienslistan Locked
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Svenska och inga lögner Locked
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Nyckelhålet Locked
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Sources
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Allergens and special needs
The 14 most common allergens, how they are labelled and what you can ask about at a restaurant.
This module is only available in Swedish for now.
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Allergens and special needs. The 14 most common allergens, how they are labelled and what you can ask about at a restaurant.Vad är allergener? Locked
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Så syns allergener på förpackningen Locked
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"Kan innehålla spår av" Locked
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På restaurang och kafé Locked
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Sources
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Best-before and use-by dates
The difference between quality and safety, and what you do when the date has passed.
This module is only available in Swedish for now.
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Best-before and use-by dates. The difference between quality and safety, and what you do when the date has passed.Bäst före: handlar om kvalitet Locked
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Sista förbrukningsdag: handlar om säkerhet Locked
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Datumet gäller bara vid rätt förvaring Locked
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Särskilda råd för vissa personer Locked
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Hur datumet skrivs Locked
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Sources
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Storage, keeping food cold and hygiene
The right temperature for your fridge and freezer, how you get chilled food home and how you avoid getting ill from food.
This module is only available in Swedish for now.
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Storage, keeping food cold and hygiene. The right temperature for your fridge and freezer, how you get chilled food home and how you avoid getting ill from food.Rätt temperatur Locked
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Kylkedjan: håll kylvaror kalla hela vägen hem Locked
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Var olika mat ska förvaras Locked
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Hygien när du lagar mat Locked
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Sources
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Simple cooking and planning meals
Tallriksmodellen [the plate model for healthy meals], cooking in large amounts and simple tips for planning food for the week.
This module is only available in Swedish for now.
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Simple cooking and planning meals. Tallriksmodellen [the plate model for healthy meals], cooking in large amounts and simple tips for planning food for the week.Tallriksmodellen Locked
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Hur mycket ska jag äta? Locked
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Planera veckans mat Locked
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Små steg räcker Locked
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Sources
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Food waste and leftovers
How you deal with leftovers in a safe way and use food that is getting old.
This module is only available in Swedish for now.
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Food waste and leftovers. How you deal with leftovers in a safe way and use food that is getting old.Vad är matsvinn? Locked
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Kyl ner rester snabbt Locked
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Använd resterna Locked
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Mögel Locked
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Sources
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Bottle deposits and packaging
What a deposit is, how much you get back and what is needed for the bottle to be accepted.
This module is only available in Swedish for now.
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Bottle deposits and packaging. What a deposit is, how much you get back and what is needed for the bottle to be accepted.Vad är pant? Locked
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Hur mycket får jag tillbaka? Locked
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Det här krävs för att få panten Locked
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Sources
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Food culture without stereotypes
People eat in different ways for many reasons. Ask instead of guessing.
This module is only available in Swedish for now.
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Food culture without stereotypes. People eat in different ways for many reasons. Ask instead of guessing.Människor äter olika av olika skäl Locked
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Olika sorters vegetarisk mat Locked
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När du bjuder på mat Locked
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När du äter ute Locked
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Sources
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Age rules for some goods
Age limits for alcohol, folköl [a low-alcohol beer], tobacco and e-cigarettes, and why you may need to show ID.
This module is only available in Swedish for now.
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Age rules for some goods. Age limits for alcohol, folköl [a low-alcohol beer], tobacco and e-cigarettes, and why you may need to show ID.Alkohol Locked
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Folköl i matbutiken Locked
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Tobak och e-cigaretter Locked
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Legitimation Locked
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Köp inte åt någon som är för ung Locked
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Sources
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Guide: Buying and storing a week’s food
Step by step, from shopping list to fridge, focusing on price, safety and less food waste.
This module is only available in Swedish for now.
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Guide: Buying and storing a week’s food. Step by step, from shopping list to fridge, focusing on price, safety and less food waste.Före du handlar Locked
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I butiken Locked
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Hemma Locked
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Sources
General information, not individual legal, medical or financial advice.