A use-by date is not a best-before

Use-by

A use-by date is the day after which the food should not be eaten. You see it on milk, fresh meat, and ready salads. There is no rule that says smell it and decide once that day has passed. The label and your own judgment decide. An app cannot make that call.

Best-before

A best-before date is about quality. Pasta, rice, tins, and biscuits can lose taste or texture after it. Many of them still keep. A swollen pack, a bulging lid, or a changed smell is a reason to set it aside no matter what the date says.

Which day to store

You save one day. On food that spoils quickly, write the use-by date. On food that sits on a shelf, write the day you actually mean to finish it. That day can be the best-before date. If it has a separate life after opening, add that too. Tracking follows whichever comes first: the date on the package, or the days after opening. The open life cannot pass the printed date.

If a photo reads the wrong day, the field stays empty or you correct it. The day you save is the day that rises to the top of the list.