"best before" is sometimes put on food and drink wrappers, followed by a date. it shows the date before which the supplier intended the food should be consumed. the term "best before" is also used to show the date by which the item will have outlived its shelf life, and is intended to ensure that customers will not unwittingly purchase or eat stale food. sometimes the packaging process involves using pre-printed labels, making it impractical to write the "best before" date in a clearly visible location. in this case, a term like "best before see bottom" or "best before see lid" might be printed on the label and the date marked in a different location as indicated.