This is the reason why some Mercadona products do not have an expiration date

On many occasions, when we shop at Mercadona or other supermarkets, we find that certain fresh products, especially whole fruits and vegetables, They do not include an expiration date printed on the packaging. The reason is in the regulations: it is not always mandatory that a product has an expiration date when its nature allows it. The key is in the distinction between the “expiration date”, the “best before date” and the nature of the food.

Mercadona clarifies on its website that when a product is “a whole fruit or vegetable, even if it is packaged”, the current legislation does not require indicate an expiration date. In those cases, what should appear is the packaging datesince the consumer deserves to know when a product has been made available for sale and to make decisions regarding said information for themselves.

On the contrary, when the product has been cut, prepared or mixed with other ingredientsthen it is mandatory that the expiration date or, at least, the best-before date appear.

Difference between expiration date and best before use

Many consumers confuse the “expiration date” with the “best before date”, but the truth is that it has a different purpose. The expiration date indicates until when a food can be consumed safely for health; On the other hand, the best before date indicates how long the food will keep its optimal qualities (flavor, texture, aroma), without ingesting or using it posing a danger after the date.

The important thing is that the product maintains suitable storage conditions (e.g. humidity, temperature) and that it is sold as long as it has acceptable sensory quality. For prepared or chopped foods, however, stricter labeling is required because they are more vulnerable to alterations or contamination.

The importance of dates and labeling

For the consumer, the issue of dates means several things: first, that it must pay attention to the type of product you purchase (integer vs. prepared) and the labeling that accompanies the product. Second, that the absence of an expiration date It does not automatically imply that the food is in bad condition.

From the point of view of internal management, the regulations allow greater flexibility in logistics. For example, the packaging date on fresh products allows us to know when they entered the shelves and optimize their sale without the need to mark an “expiration date” that can be arbitrary for foods that depend more on their appearance than on the passage of time.