What is the difference between sell-by and use-by dates?

Sell-by dates are for retailers and indicate how long to display a product. Use-by dates are the last day recommended for peak quality and, for perishable items, safety. After a use-by date, especially for ready-to-eat foods, the risk of spoilage increases.

Can I eat food past its best-by date?

Yes, in most cases. Best-by dates indicate when a product will be at its best flavor or texture, not when it becomes unsafe. If stored properly, many foods like canned goods, pasta, and snacks are safe to eat for months or even years past that date, though quality may decline.

How long is food safe after the sell-by date?

It depends on the food type. Perishable items like milk and meat are safe for a few days to a week past the sell-by date if kept refrigerated. Non-perishable items like canned goods can last much longer. Always check for signs of spoilage, such as off-odors, mold, or changes in texture.

Why do some foods not have a date label at all?

Some foods, like whole fresh produce, are exempt from federal dating requirements. Others, like unopened shelf-stable items, may not have dates because they have a long shelf life. In these cases, rely on storage guidelines and sensory checks rather than a date stamp.

Food Date Labels Meaning: What Sell-By, Best-By, and Use-By Really Tell You

Why Most Date Labels Are About Quality, Not Safety

In many households, the date printed on a milk carton or a jar of pasta sauce is treated as a hard deadline: once it passes, the food is assumed to be unsafe. In reality, the vast majority of date labels are quality indicators, not safety warnings. Manufacturers and retailers use them to signal when a product will be at its peak flavor, texture, or nutritional value, not when it becomes harmful to eat.

The confusion is compounded by the fact that there is no single federal standard for date labeling in the United States. Instead, the meanings vary by product, state, and even individual store policy. This patchwork of rules means that a 'best-by' date on one brand's yogurt might mean something entirely different from the 'sell-by' date on another brand's sour cream. Understanding the basic definitions behind each phrase is the first step to cutting down on the food you toss out.

When you interpret these labels correctly, you gain more than just confidence in your fridge. You gain the ability to shop smarter, store food more effectively, and reduce the estimated 30-40% of the food supply that goes to waste in the U.S. each year—much of it discarded based on a misunderstood date.

Sell-By, Best-By, and Use-By: The Three Labels You’ll Actually See

The 'sell-by' date is aimed at retailers, not consumers. It tells the store how long to display a product on the shelf before it should be removed. For example, a carton of eggs with a sell-by date of May 1 is still safe to eat for several weeks after that date, provided it’s kept refrigerated. The label is a stock rotation tool, not a spoilage warning for you.

The 'best-by' (or 'best before') date is the most common and the most misunderstood. It indicates when a product will be at its best flavor or texture. After that date, the food is still safe to eat, but it may lose some of its crispness, carbonation, or aroma. Canned goods, dry pasta, and many pantry staples are perfectly fine for months—sometimes years—past their best-by date if stored properly.

The 'use-by' date is the only one that comes close to a safety recommendation. It’s found on highly perishable items like deli meats, unpasteurized juices, and some dairy products. After the use-by date, the risk of foodborne illness increases, especially if the product has been opened or mishandled. But even this label is not a hard rule: it assumes continuous refrigeration and proper handling, which isn’t always the case.

A Walk Through Your Fridge: The Sell-By Date in Action

Let’s step into a typical Wednesday evening. You’re tidying up the kitchen and notice a half-empty carton of milk with a sell-by date of two days ago. Your instinct is to pour it down the drain, but stop and consider the label. The sell-by date is for the store’s benefit, not yours. As long as the milk has been kept at or below 40°F (4°C) and the container is still sealed, it’s likely safe to consume.

Open the carton and give it a sniff. If it smells clean and slightly sweet, it’s fine. If it has a sour aroma or a lumpy texture, that’s a sign of spoilage, not a result of the date. The same logic applies to yogurt, cottage cheese, and even raw chicken. A sell-by date that has passed by a few days is rarely a reason to toss a product—it’s a reason to use your senses instead of the calendar.

The key is to remember that the sell-by date is a maximum display window for the retailer. Once you bring the product home, the clock that matters is the one you control: the temperature of your fridge and how quickly you use the item. In the next section, we’ll apply this to a more complex scenario.

Worked Example: A Week of Leftovers Without the Guilt

Imagine it’s Sunday afternoon, and you’re doing a fridge inventory. You find: a container of cooked pasta with a best-by date of yesterday, a half-eaten block of cheddar with a sell-by date from last week, and a bottle of salad dressing with a use-by date of three days from now. Your first instinct might be to toss the pasta and cheese, but let’s break down what each label actually means.

The pasta’s best-by date is a quality marker. If it’s been refrigerated within two hours of cooking and stored in an airtight container, it’s safe to eat for up to five days after cooking—regardless of the date printed on the original packaging. The cheddar, with its sell-by date, is a hard cheese; it can last weeks past that date if it’s kept wrapped and free of mold. The salad dressing, with its use-by date, is the only one that warrants closer attention, but even then, an unopened bottle can last months past that date if stored in a cool, dark place.

To put this into practice, you might make a meal plan for the next few days. Cook the pasta into a frittata or toss it with olive oil and vegetables. Grate the cheddar over soups or sandwiches. Use the salad dressing as a marinade for chicken or a dip for raw veggies. By the end of the week, you’ve eaten everything, and you’ve kept several pounds of food out of the trash—just by reading labels correctly.

Beyond the Label: How Storage and Smell Trump the Date

The date on a package is a starting point, but it’s your storage habits that ultimately determine whether food is safe. Temperature is the single most important factor. Your refrigerator should be at or below 40°F (4°C), and your freezer at 0°F (-18°C). If your fridge runs warmer, even food before its use-by date can spoil faster.

Use your senses as a backup. For most foods, a visual check for mold, a sniff test for off-odors, and a touch test for sliminess or stickiness are more reliable than any date stamp. For example, milk that’s slightly past its sell-by date might still be fine for baking, while milk with a sour smell is not. Similarly, bread with a best-by date that’s passed is still good for toast or breadcrumbs, even if it’s a bit stale.

The exception is when it comes to high-risk foods like deli meats, soft cheeses, and prepared salads. These should be consumed within a few days of opening, regardless of the date. If you’re ever in doubt about a food’s safety, the USDA’s guideline is simple: when in doubt, throw it out. But for the vast majority of items, the date is a suggestion, not a sentence.