Best Before Date Labels

Best Before Date Labels for Australian Food Businesses

Every packaged food product in Australia requires a date mark. Best before dates indicate quality—the date until which the product retains its expected flavour, texture and nutritional value when stored correctly. Vision Supply stocks best before date labels in pre-printed formats designed for pricing guns and handheld date coders used by supermarkets, bakeries, delis, cafes, food manufacturers and any business that packages food for sale.

Getting date marking right is not optional. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Standard 1.2.5 requires date marking on most packaged foods. Incorrect, missing or illegible date marks create food safety risks, trigger compliance failures during council health inspections and expose your business to penalties under state food legislation.

22x12mm Pricing Gun Best Before Labels

Our 22x12mm best before labels are pre-printed with “Best Before” text and a writable date area, designed for QuikStik Mark I and compatible handheld date guns. Each roll contains 1,500 labels with permanent adhesive that bonds on contact to cling film, trays, bags, cartons, bottles and jars. Staff dial the date on the pricing gun and apply labels to products in a single squeeze action—no separate printer, no power source, no software required.

The pre-printed format eliminates handwriting inconsistency and ensures every product carries a clear, uniform date mark. This matters during health inspections where legibility is assessed alongside correct date application.

Who Uses Best Before Date Labels

Supermarket bakery departments apply best before labels to bread, rolls, pastries, cakes and biscuits packaged in-store. Delicatessens mark sliced meats, cheeses, salads and prepared foods. Cafes and food service operations label pre-made sandwiches, wraps, salads, juices and packaged snacks. Small food manufacturers, cottage industry producers and farmers market vendors use best before labels on jams, sauces, condiments, dried goods, confectionery and packaged baked items.

Any business that packages food for later sale—whether minutes later on a deli counter or months later on a supermarket shelf—needs a reliable, efficient date marking system. Handheld pricing guns with best before label rolls deliver that system at the lowest cost and with the fastest application speed.

Best Before vs Use By: Understanding the Difference

Best before indicates quality. Food past its best before date may lose optimal flavour or texture but is not necessarily unsafe to eat. Use by indicates safety. Food past its use by date must not be sold and should not be consumed. Australian food law requires use by dates on foods that may become unsafe after a certain period, including fresh meat, dairy, ready-to-eat salads and chilled prepared foods.

Use the correct date mark type for your product. Applying a best before label to a product that legally requires a use by date is a compliance breach. If unsure, consult the FSANZ Food Standards Code or your local council environmental health officer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What pricing guns are these labels compatible with?

22x12mm labels fit QuikStik Mark I and compatible single-line date guns.

How many labels per roll?

1,500 labels per roll with permanent adhesive.

Is a best before date required on all food?

Most packaged food requires a date mark under FSANZ Standard 1.2.5. Exceptions include some fresh whole fruit, vegetables and certain long-shelf-life products. Check the Food Standards Code for your specific product.