Quick answer
Agree the remaining product life you need at delivery for each relevant line, then check the actual date marks when it arrives. Keep a commercial short-date decision separate from food safety: a discount never makes unsafe food acceptable. Record any rejected or specially approved quantity and tell the person responsible for ordering and stock rotation.
Identify the date before arguing about it
A pack may show a production code, batch code, best-before date and use-by date. Establish which mark you are reading. If the code is unclear, ask the supplier or manufacturer to explain it in writing rather than guessing from a photograph shared in a staff chat.
The FSA distinguishes use-by dates, which concern safety, from best-before dates, which concern quality. Food must not be sold after its use-by date, and the storage instructions still matter before that date. Product-specific rules can also apply. Follow the food-safety system appropriate to your business and seek local-authority advice where needed.
Further reading: FSA: Safer food, better business for retailers
Work backwards from your actual buying pattern
An acceptable remaining life depends on the product and what you genuinely expect to sell or use. If a deli orders enough packaged sandwiches for several service days, a delivery suitable only for today may not meet its commercial requirement, even if it is currently within date. That does not establish an automatic right to a particular remedy; check what was agreed.
Write the requirement by product or group and agree how days are counted. State whether the delivery day is included, and what should happen when the supplier cannot meet the requirement. Avoid a blanket rule copied from another shop whose turnover, products and delivery cycle are different.
Give the receiver a decision path
Staff need a clear action when the date is shorter than the agreed requirement. They should record the product, quantity, date mark and delivery reference, then contact the authorised person. Keep products safely stored or rejected under your procedure while the commercial question is resolved; a back-room holding area must still meet required storage conditions.
For an illustrative delivery of 20 pots, suppose only eight fit the shop’s confirmed needs within the remaining usable period. The manager might ask whether eight can be accepted and twelve returned, but must obtain agreement and document the actual outcome. Do not accept all 20 merely because a representative says they should sell quickly.
Product [code], delivery [reference], quantity [number]: the packs show [exact date type and date]. Our agreed remaining-life requirement is [requirement]. Please confirm whether you can replace the affected quantity or agree another remedy. We have [held/rejected/accepted specified quantity] under our receiving procedure; please confirm the handling instructions.
Record exceptions so they do not become the new standard
If you knowingly accept a suitable short-dated quantity, record who approved it, why it can be used safely and what commercial adjustment was agreed. Tell the team responsible for rotation so it does not sit behind a longer-dated batch. Never extend or obscure the original date to make the purchase work.
Review recurring short-date deliveries with the supplier using actual records. Ask whether a different delivery day, quantity or product would fit better. Check that the ordering team is not repeatedly buying more than the shop can use. The useful outcome is a shared specification and sensible order, not a weekly scramble to rescue unsuitable stock.
Unpickle can hold the item note and supporting photograph so the manager can follow up. Food-safety decisions and supplier agreements remain the responsibility of your team. Keep short-date exceptions with the delivery.