How to Read Expiration Dates on Food Labels

Why Date Labels Exist and What They Actually Mean

Food date labels are not federally regulated in the United States except for infant formula. Manufacturers add them voluntarily to indicate quality, not safety. This means the dates you see are best guesses about when a product will taste or perform at its peak, not hard deadlines after which food becomes dangerous.

The confusion between quality and safety leads to millions of pounds of perfectly edible food being thrown away each year. Understanding the specific phrase on the label tells you whether you are looking at a recommendation for the store, a suggestion for your home, or a genuine safety deadline. Each phrase has a distinct purpose.

The only exception to the voluntary system is infant formula, which must carry a use-by date for nutrient potency. For all other foods, the date reflects the manufacturer's estimate of optimal freshness, not a government-mandated safety cutoff.

• Sell-by: tells the store how long to display the product
• Best-by: indicates when flavor or quality may decline
• Use-by: the last date the manufacturer recommends for peak quality
• Freeze-by: indicates when to freeze for best quality

Sell-By: A Date for Stores, Not for You

A sell-by date is aimed at retailers. It tells the store how long to keep the product on the shelf so it still has a reasonable amount of time for home storage and use. The date is about inventory rotation, not about when the food becomes unsafe.

For most products, you can safely consume food past its sell-by date if it has been stored properly. Milk, for example, is typically fine for five to seven days after the sell-by date, provided it stays refrigerated. The sell-by date is often a conservative estimate to ensure the product still tastes good when you buy it.

The key is to treat the sell-by date as a starting point for your own sensory inspection. If the food looks, smells, and tastes normal, it is likely safe. Trust your senses more than the printed date for most items.

Best-By and Best-Before: Quality Markers, Not Safety Deadlines

Best-by and best-before dates are the most common labels and the most misunderstood. They indicate when a product will begin to lose its optimal flavor, texture, or nutritional value. After this date, the food is still safe to eat but may be slightly stale, less crisp, or less vibrant in color.

Canned goods, dry pasta, cereals, and spices all fall into this category. A can of tomatoes may lose some bright color and flavor a year past its best-by date, but it will not make you sick. The same goes for a box of crackers that has gone slightly soft, or spices that have lost their punch.

The practical takeaway: best-by dates are about enjoyment, not safety. If you are cooking with a product past its best-by date, it will still work in recipes, though you may need to adjust seasonings or expect a softer texture.

Use-By and Expiration Dates: When to Pay Attention

Use-by dates are the closest thing to a genuine safety deadline, but even these are conservative. The date represents the manufacturer's estimate of when the product will begin to decline in quality, not when it will become harmful. For highly perishable items like deli meats, soft cheeses, and prepared foods, the use-by date is a better guide than for shelf-stable items.

The word expiration is rarely used on food labels, but when it appears, it usually applies to products like baking powder, yeast, or infant formula, where the ingredient's function degrades over time. Expired baking powder simply loses its leavening power; expired formula loses nutrient potency.

For perishable foods, the use-by date is worth respecting, but it is not an instant switch. If the food has been continuously refrigerated and shows no signs of spoilage, it is often safe for a short period afterward. The risk increases with time, so use judgment and err toward caution with high-risk items.

How to Store Food to Make Dates Less Critical

Proper storage extends the life of food far beyond any printed date. Temperature is the biggest factor. Perishable items should sit at 40°F or below in the refrigerator, and the freezer should be at 0°F. Even a few degrees warmer can shorten shelf life dramatically.

Once a package is opened, the original date no longer applies. An opened jar of salsa, a partial loaf of bread, or a half-used container of yogurt now follows the clock of opened-food storage times, which are much shorter. Write the open date on the package if you tend to forget.

For dry goods, airtight containers protect against moisture, pests, and oxygen, all of which accelerate spoilage. Storing flour, sugar, and grains in sealed containers can extend their usable life well past the best-by date. The same applies to pantry staples like oil, which goes rancid faster when exposed to light and air.

Using Your Senses as the Final Check

The printed date is a guide, but your senses are the final authority for most foods. Spoilage has reliable signs: mold, off odors, slimy textures, or a sour taste. If any of these are present, throw the food out regardless of the date. If the food looks and smells normal, it is almost certainly safe.

There are exceptions where you cannot rely on your senses. Pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli do not change the look, smell, or taste of food. For high-risk items such as raw meat, poultry, and eggs, the date plus proper cold storage is a better safety indicator than your senses alone.

When in doubt, follow the rule: for shelf-stable foods, trust the date as a quality marker and your senses as the safety check. For perishable foods, trust the date more and your senses less. When a food is borderline and you are unsure, the cost of throwing it out is far lower than the cost of food poisoning.