There's some good news for those who buy groceries and goods from online stores. The government is now taking steps to require products to display their Best Before and Use By dates.

Online Grocery Rules

These days, it's incredibly easy for people to order groceries from the comfort of their homes. Everything from flour, lentils, and oil to milk and biscuits arrives within minutes. But one common problem with online shopping is that people often don't know the best-before or use-by date of an item before purchasing it.

In response, the government has taken steps to make date information readily available to consumers on online grocery and quick commerce platforms. The goal is to inform customers about the expiry date of food products before they order.

What was happening till now?

When purchasing goods from a store, a customer can pick up the package and check its expiry date. If the Best Before date of a biscuit, milk, or other packaged food is very close, they can choose another package. However, when shopping online, customers don't have this option. The product's photo and other information are displayed on the screen, but in many cases, the important date printed on the package is not clearly visible. This is why customers often discover that the Best Before date is very close only after the goods arrive at home.

Why is the government making this change?

Recently, consumer organization LocalCircles conducted a survey on this issue. In the survey, a large number of people buying grocery online said that they do not see the Best Before Date of the product in advance on the platform. According to the report, eight major online grocery platforms were inspected in June 2026. Out of these, five platforms were found lacking in information related to the Best Before Date. FSSAI rules require food products sold online to display at least 30 percent of the shelf life or 45 days of the remaining period.

What is the difference between Best Before and Use By?

It's important for consumers to understand these two terms. Best Before generally refers to the period of time a product is expected to remain at its best. Use By/Expiry dates refer to the product's intended shelf life. Therefore, when shopping online, simply looking at the product name, price, or discount isn't enough. It's equally important to look at the date and shelf life information.