New
New
Year 6

Food labels for safety

I can explain where different food should be stored safely.

New
New
Year 6

Food labels for safety

I can explain where different food should be stored safely.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Food labels show us information about how to store the food correctly, and when it should be eaten (date marks).
  2. Depending on the food, they can be stored in kitchen cupboards or on the worksurface, in the fridge, or in the freezer.
  3. Food stored in sealed packets, cartons or cans, or kept cold in the fridge or freezer, will keep safe to eat for longer.
  4. Some foods have labels that tell us more about how they were grown or reared, such as Red Tractor.

Keywords

  • Food label - conveys information about a food on its packaging

  • Use by - a date mark to indicate the last day a food can be eaten for safety

  • Best before - a date mark to indicate when, after a date, the food may not look or taste as good, but will be safe

  • Storage instructions - tell us where best to store food so that it is safe to eat

Common misconception

'Use by' and 'best before' date marks are the same. The food is still safe to eat after the date passes.

'Use by' and 'best before' date marks are not the same. After the 'use by' date passes, the food is not safe to eat. After the ‘best before’ date passes, the food will probably be safe to eat, but may not look or taste as good.


To help you plan your year 6 cooking and nutrition lesson on: Food labels for safety, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Use food packaging props to allow pupils to find and disucss different food labels, such as storage instructions, ingredient lists, and date marks. Talk about how these can be used when buying, storing and using food. (Check that the packaging is empty and clean.)
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
What information on food packaging helps us know by when to eat the food?

nutrition information
Correct answer: date mark
storage instructions
name

Q2.
We should wash raw fruit and vegetables to remove dirt, __________, and __________.

Correct answer: insects
nutrients
water
Correct answer: bacteria

Q3.
What allergens are highlighted in this ingredient list?

An image in a quiz
chicken
tomato
tumeric
Correct answer: milk
coriander seeds

Q4.
True or false? Some food is sold without food labels, e.g. no date marks or storage instructions.

Correct answer: True
False

Q5.
If we eat food by their date marks ...

they may be unsafe to eat
Correct answer: they are safe to eat
they may not be at their best
Correct answer: it helps to reduce food waste
it increases food waste

Q6.
Food and safety rules should be followed by staff when preparing food in shops.

Correct Answer: hygiene

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Do not buy food with __________ packaging, such as torn bags, trays or boxes, or dented cans or cartons.

attractive
secure
sealed
Correct answer: damaged

Q2.
Match the following for good food storage:

Correct Answer:Food stored in sealed cans and packets,are usually kept in the cupboard.

are usually kept in the cupboard.

Correct Answer:Some foods are kept cold,in the fridge, such as cheese and cooked meats.

in the fridge, such as cheese and cooked meats.

Correct Answer:Foods are also kept frozen,in the freezer, such as ice cream and frozen peas.

in the freezer, such as ice cream and frozen peas.

Q3.
True or false? 'Use by' and 'best before' date marks are the same. The food is still safe to eat after the date passes.

True
Correct answer: False

Q4.
When storing food, we should keep the fridge __________ and the freezer __________.

Correct answer: below 5°C
above 5°C
Correct answer: below -18°C
above -18°C

Q5.
Foods which are unpackaged do not have date-marks. What checks should you make?

Correct answer: how it looks, e.g. no mould or wrinkly skin
how it tastes, e.g. always try it first
Correct answer: how it smells, e.g. no ‘rotten’ or ‘sour’ smells
Correct answer: how it feels, e.g. not too soft or slimy for fruit, or dry and hard for bread

Q6.
This type of food label shows that food has been made to high standards of food or animal welfare.

An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: safety, safe
Q6 No attribution required