Ancient history

Who invented expiry dates and when?

Expiry dates, also known as "use-by" or "best-before" dates, were introduced in the early 20th century as a means of ensuring food safety and quality. In 1914, the Swiss-French chemist and bacteriologist Nicolas Appert developed a simple but effective method for preserving foods. His methods consisted of filling bottles with the product, corking them shut, and boiling it quickly and carefully.

In later years, the first open dating for perishable meat appeared in 1930 during WWII by the Food Distribution Authority. Later in the 1970s, other grocery items saw an expiration date as a part of the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, a regulation to protect consumers and manufacturers in product selling and buying.