Swedish supermarkets mark down food near its date every day, and almost every Swede buys it. Here is where to find it, what the two date marks allow a shop to sell, and how to keep a chilled bargain safe.
When you need this
- You are self-catering in a hostel, cabin or motorhome and want the grocery bill down.
- You are holding a stickered pack of meat and wondering whether it is safe.
- You have spotted a pack past its date and wonder whether the shop may sell it.
- You are deciding whether a food-waste app is worth downloading for a short trip.
- You have no proper fridge and want to know what is safe to buy.
The reduced shelf: normal, not a last resort
Buying marked-down food is ordinary in Sweden. In Livsmedelsverket’s (the Swedish Food Agency’s) 2024 survey, 96% of consumers bought price-reduced food at least sometimes, and 72% of those said money was the main reason. Shops have their own motive: Naturvårdsverket, the environmental agency, counts about 8 kg of food waste per person a year from food shops, almost all of it food that could have been sold.
Most supermarkets gather short-date goods on one shelf or in one chilled section, often signed kort datum (short date) or with a price-reduction sign. Single items are also stickered where they stand, especially meat, fish, dairy and bread. In the fruit and vegetable section, look for a svinnlåda: a cheap mixed box made up from multipacks with one damaged item. Naturvårdsverket names price cuts and these boxes among the measures that reduce waste in stores.
What the law allows: two dates, two answers
The whole legal question turns on which date mark is on the pack. For the full label, see our guide to Swedish food labels.
| Date mark | What it means | May a shop sell it after the date? |
|---|---|---|
| Bäst före (best before) | Quality: taste, color, texture | Yes, if the shop judges it still safe and fit |
| Sista förbrukningsdag (use by) | Safety: food that spoils fast, like fresh meat and fish | No, and it may not be given away either |
Past bäst före, selling is legal. Livsmedelsverket’s guidance for inspectors says a shop may sell or donate food after its best-before date on its own responsibility. The shop has to judge the food still safe, and it may never sell food that is unsafe or unfit. Food law sets no discount scale. It does say the information must not mislead, so a clear drop in quality may need to be pointed out.
Past sista förbrukningsdag, selling is illegal. Under EU law, food is treated as unsafe once its use-by date has passed. It may not be sold, donated or used as an ingredient, even if it looks and smells fine. The line falls on the day after the printed date. On the date itself the food still counts as fit, so a use-by pack reduced today is legal.
A few exceptions:
- Eggs have their own EU rules tied to their best-before date, so the “may be sold after” rule does not simply carry over to them.
- Bread and fresh produce often carry no date at all. EU law exempts fresh uncut fruit and vegetables and bakery goods normally eaten within 24 hours, so the shop reduces them on its own judgment. A bakdag (baking date) is voluntary.
- Shop-frozen packs are legal. A store may deep-freeze chilled food before its date if the pack then says djupfryst (deep-frozen), gives a new best-before for the frozen food and states bör inte frysas efter upptining (do not refreeze after thawing).
- Changed dates need a reason. A shop that moves a date on a pack must be able to justify it to the food inspectors.
The sticker and the price
A reduction sticker shows the new price. It may not show the old one, and that is lawful. Since 2022, Sweden’s price-information act says a price cut must show the lowest price of the previous 30 days. It then exempts goods that “quickly deteriorate or become too old”, which covers short-date food. To compare, use the jämförpris (unit price per kg or liter) on the shelf label.
Stickers differ by chain. Many are a bright yellow, orange or red label with the new price and their own barcode. If a self-checkout rings up the full price, call a staff member rather than paying it. The reduction is on the sticker, so it applies to everyone at the till. That makes it different from the member prices on many offer signs, which most visitors cannot get (see Swedish supermarkets).
The tax is already low. Food carries 6% VAT (moms) from 1 April 2026 to 31 December 2027, whether you buy it from the reduced shelf or collect it to take away. Eat-in restaurant meals stay at 12%. Extending the 6% rate beyond 2027 would need a new decision by parliament.
Keeping a chilled bargain safe
A date is a promise that only holds if the food is stored as the pack says. Chilled labels often say förvaras vid högst +4 °C (keep at no more than +4 °C), sometimes +8 °C. Livsmedelsverket explains what happens when food is kept warmer:
| Temperature | What happens |
|---|---|
| +4 °C | The date holds; food keeps noticeably longer than at +8 °C |
| Above 8–10 °C | Salmonella and EHEC can slowly start to multiply |
| Above 10–12 °C | Heat-stable toxins can form that cooking does not remove |
In practice:
- Buy reduced chilled food for today or tomorrow, or for the freezer. Don’t buy a week’s worth if you have no reliable fridge.
- Get it cold fast. In summer a hot car or a warm cabin is the biggest risk, so bring a cool bag.
- Eat, cook or freeze use-by food by its date. That is Livsmedelsverket’s rule for households, and freezing on the last day is fine.
- Use your senses after bäst före. Look, smell and taste; the food is often perfectly good.
- Take extra care if you are pregnant, older or have weakened immunity. Livsmedelsverket has separate listeria advice on shelf life and certain foods.
Food-waste apps: useful, but optional
Food-waste apps are the other half of Sweden’s surplus-food market. They come in three types:
- Surplus bags from bakeries, cafés, restaurants and shops. You pay in the app and collect the bag in a short window, usually near closing. You won’t know exactly what is inside until pickup.
- Online surplus shops that deliver short-date or overstocked groceries.
- Supermarket apps that list their own reductions and digital offers.
All of them need an account, and payment happens in the app. Sign-up rules vary: some want a phone number, some a card, and some Swedish services behind them assume a login through BankID. BankID needs a Swedish personnummer, which visitors don’t have (see BankID for tourists). If an app refuses your details, you lose little. The reduced shelf sells the same kind of food, and your card works at nearly every till.
Allergies and surplus bags. A mixed bag is packed blind, so if you have an allergy, ask at pickup. EU law requires allergen information to be available for food packed on the premises, which covers a bag made up by a café or bakery. Bakeries and in-store bake-offs also tend to cut prices or bag leftovers near closing, and you can ask staff when they usually do it.
Practical information
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where | Short-date shelf or chilled section; stickers on single items; svinnlåda boxes |
| Who can buy | Anyone; pay by card at a till or self-checkout |
| Discount size | Set by each store, per item; no legal scale |
| Old price on sticker | Not required for goods that quickly spoil |
| VAT on food | 6%, 1 April 2026 – 31 December 2027 (eat-in meals 12%) |
| Membership, app, BankID | Not needed for in-store reductions |
| Safe storage | As labeled, often at most +4 °C; eat or freeze use-by food by the date |
| Timing | Varies by store; ask staff. Seasonal foods drop after holidays |
FAQ
Is it legal to sell food past its best-before date in Sweden?
Yes. A shop may sell food after its bäst före date on its own responsibility: it has to judge that the food is still safe and fit, and it may never sell food that is not. The date marks quality, not safety, and Livsmedelsverket’s advice is to look, smell and taste. Eggs are the exception, with their own EU rules.
Can Swedish shops sell food after sista förbrukningsdag?
No. Food marked sista förbrukningsdag (use by) is treated as unsafe once the date has passed and may not be sold, donated or used as an ingredient, even if it looks fine. On the date itself it still counts as fit, so a use-by item reduced today is legal. Eat or freeze it by the end of that day.
Do I need a Swedish app or BankID to get reduced food?
Not for the reduced shelf. The price is on the sticker, so you pay at any till or self-checkout by card with no membership, app or Swedish ID. BankID needs a Swedish personnummer, which visitors lack, but it only matters for some app sign-ups. If an app refuses your details, the in-store shelf gives you the same kind of food.
How do food waste apps work in Sweden?
They connect you with food that would otherwise be thrown away. The common type sells a surplus bag from a bakery, café, restaurant or shop: you pay in the app and collect it in a short window, usually near closing, without knowing exactly what is inside. Others sell short-date groceries for delivery. All need an account, and sign-up rules vary.
Is reduced-price meat safe to eat?
Yes, if its date has not passed and it has been kept cold. Check whether it says bäst före or sista förbrukningsdag, and follow the storage line, often at most +4 °C. Get it into a fridge quickly and cook or freeze it by the date. Above 10–12 °C, toxins can form that cooking will not remove.
Can I freeze short-date food?
Yes. Livsmedelsverket’s advice is to eat, cook or freeze use-by food by its sista förbrukningsdag, and best-before food freezes well too. Some shops freeze chilled goods themselves before the date; those packs say djupfryst, carry a new best-before for the frozen food and must not be refrozen once thawed.
Why does the reduced sticker not show the old price?
Because it does not have to. Since 2022, Swedish law requires a price reduction to show the lowest price of the previous 30 days, but it exempts goods that quickly deteriorate or get too old. Short-date food falls under that exemption, so a sticker with only the new price is lawful. Use the unit price to compare.
Related guides
- Swedish food labels: every line on the pack, from allergens to the Keyhole.
- Swedish supermarkets: which chain to use, and why the red offer sign is often a member price.
- Grocery prices in Sweden: what a basket costs and where the savings are.
- Sweden on a budget: the rest of the money-saving toolkit.
- Self-checkout in Sweden: scanning stickered items and what the rescan light means.
Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: Livsmedelsverket (consumer guidance, Kontrollwiki and its 2024 food-waste survey), EU Regulation 1169/2011, the Swedish price-information act, Skatteverket and Naturvårdsverket (full register in this topic’s source file). No store, chain or app is endorsed. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.