Out of date food bargains: what's safe to buy, and where it comes from

Out of date food bargains are real, and mostly legal. The catch is knowing which "out of date" you're looking at. Food past its best-before date can be a genuine saving. Food past its use-by date is not a bargain at any price.

This page is written for two kinds of reader. If you're a shopper, the first half tells you what's safe and legal to buy and where short-dated food usually ends up. If you're a manufacturer, importer, distributor or retailer holding short-dated food, the second half is for you: we buy it.

Is out of date food safe to buy?

Food past its best-before date is usually safe if it has been stored properly. Food past its use-by date isn't, and can't legally be sold.

The rules are set nationally and explained by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ):

• Best before is about quality. FSANZ says you can still eat food for a while after its best-before date, as it should be safe but may have lost some quality. It can legally be sold after the date provided it's fit for human consumption.
• Use by is about safety. Food shouldn't be eaten after its use-by date and can't legally be sold after it.
• Baked on / baked for dates can appear on bread with a shelf life of less than seven days. That's the only exception.

So when a shop sells "out of date food", it should be past-best-before stock. If you ever see food for sale past its use-by date, don't buy it, and you can report it to your state or territory food authority.

For the full detail, read our guide to what the out of date food label really means.

What out of date food is worth buying?

Shelf-stable food past its best-before date is the safest bet. Chilled and fresh food is where you need to be careful.

A few practical checks before you buy:

1. Read the date mark. Is it "best before" or "use by"? It matters more than the date itself.
2. Check the packaging. Intact seals, no pest damage, cans without swelling or deep dents.
3. Ask how it's been stored. Food stored hot or damp can deteriorate well before its date.
4. Buy what you'll use. A pallet of cheap biscuits is only a bargain if you eat them before they go stale.

Where is short-dated and out of date food sold?

Mostly through discount and clearance channels that specialise in stock other retailers won't take.

Without naming businesses, here's where short-dated food generally ends up:

• Clearance grocery outlets. Shops built around end-of-line, short-dated and past-best-before food. Stock changes constantly.
• Discount variety stores. Many carry a grocery section of overstocks and short-dated lines.
• Markets. Weekend and wholesale markets often have traders selling bulk short-dated packaged food.
• Online clearance retailers. Sites selling short-dated groceries in bulk boxes, usually with delivery.
• Supermarket markdowns. Most supermarkets mark down food that's close to its date. It's often the easiest bargain of all.
• Food relief charities. For people doing it tough, food charities distribute donated short-dated food.

People searching for an "out of date food warehouse" are usually after one of the first four. Prices and range vary a lot, so it's worth shopping around.

Why does short-dated food end up for sale cheaply?

Because the business that owns it has run out of good options, and time.

Most major retailers won't receive stock with less than a set amount of shelf life left. So a manufacturer that over-produced, an importer whose shipment landed late, or a distributor whose customer cancelled an order can be left with perfectly good food that their normal channels won't take.

The usual causes we see:

• a cancelled or reduced retail order
• a seasonal line that didn't sell through
• a packaging or label change that made old stock obsolete
• a shipment that arrived with less shelf life than planned
• a discontinued product
• a business closing down or going into administration

That stock has to go somewhere. Often it comes to traders like us, and from us it goes to the discount retailers, wholesalers, exporters and charities shoppers buy from. That's where your bargain comes from.

Does buying out of date food help reduce food waste?

Yes. Every past-best-before packet that's eaten instead of binned is food, packaging and freight that wasn't wasted.

A lot of good food is thrown out because people read "best before" as "throw out after". Retailers face the same problem on a bigger scale: stock that's too close to its date for their shelves still has weeks or months of good life left. The clearance channels shoppers use are a big part of how that food gets eaten rather than dumped.

There are limits. Food past its use-by date is a safety problem, not a waste problem, and it shouldn't be sold or eaten. And a bargain only saves waste if you actually use it.

What about "use by date food for sale"?

If you see use-by food offered for sale, check the date carefully before buying.

Food that is still within its use-by date can be sold, and supermarkets often mark it down heavily in the last day or two. That's a fair bargain if you'll eat it or freeze it that day, following the label's storage instructions. Food past its use-by date is different: it can't legally be sold in Australia, however cheap it is. If a seller is offering it, don't buy it.

Does Coorey and Co sell food to the public?

No. We buy short-dated and excess stock in bulk from businesses and resell it to trade buyers. We don't run a shop or sell to consumers.

If you're a shopper, the stores listed above are where to look. If you're a retailer, wholesaler or exporter who buys short-dated food in volume, get in touch. We're always interested in meeting new buyers.

For businesses: do you have short-dated food to sell?

If you're holding food that's running short on date, we'd like to hear about it. We buy short-dated food outright, then resell it through our own network of buyers.

We've been buying and selling excess stock for over 30 years from our Sydney office, and we buy from anywhere in Australia, New Zealand and overseas. Food is a big part of it. One parcel we sold was 37 semi-trailers of short-dated orange juice. We've also bought and sold confectionery, soft drinks, dried fruit, coffee and gravy.

There's no minimum. John likes small parcels too, because a small parcel sometimes leads to a big one.

How it works

1. You send the details. A stock list spreadsheet with SKU, description, quantity, cost or RRP if you're happy to share, and the best-before or use-by date for each line. Add photos and the location.
2. John surveys the market. He discreetly checks what the stock is worth with buyers who suit it.
3. You get an offer. In most cases, John makes an offer to buy all of it. If buying the whole parcel isn't possible, he gives his best advice on how to sell it.
4. Collection or delivery. It depends on the parcel. We're happy to arrange collection, or you can deliver. We agree it per parcel.

We buy the stock ourselves. We don't charge a fee to broker or advise.

Protecting your brand

Short-dated stock turning up cheap next to your full-priced range is a real risk. We sell to major retailers, discount chains, overseas buyers, charities, wholesalers and distributors, and we structure each deal to keep your stock away from the channels you want to protect.

Our four guarantees:

1. "We strictly follow your guidelines in relation to pricing and distribution locations."
2. "We send payment promptly, as per our agreed terms."
3. "We place a priority focus on clearing your stock."
4. "We speedily and discreetly convert your stock into cash at the highest possible price, without damaging your market position."

Timing matters

Every week costs you buyers. A buyer needs enough shelf life left to sell the stock on, so the earlier you call, the more options there are. Use-by stock is the most urgent: it can't legally be sold after its date, so it needs to move well before then.

Read more about how we buy short-dated stock and the food and grocery stock we buy. If you're deciding between a broker and selling outright, see should you hire a food broker.

The short version

• Shoppers: past best before is usually fine and legal to sell. Past use by, walk away. Check the packaging and storage.
• Where to look: clearance grocery outlets, discount stores, markets, online clearance sites and supermarket markdowns.
• Businesses: if you have short-dated food, call John on 0411 430 047 or email john@coorey.com, or sell your excess stock through our enquiry form. Anything is possible!