There are lots of different dates on our food that mean a variety of things. Do any of these dates actually indicate when our food is unsafe though? Understanding what food dates mean can help you avoid throwing away perfectly safe food.
Food waste is a huge problem in the United States right now at all levels of food production. A large contributor to consumer food waste comes from a lack of understanding of what all the dates on our food mean. Rather than risk getting sick, people are throwing away a lot of food that might actually still be safe to eat. To help you make informed decisions about your food safety, let’s break down which dates you might see on your food and what each of them mean.
Which foods are required to have dates?
The only food product that is federally required to have a date on it is infant formula. Every other food product is voluntarily dated. Except for infant formula, food dates also refer to a product’s quality and not its safety. These dates are decided upon by individual food manufacturers based on when they think their product won’t be at its best quality.
So what do all these dates mean?
Again, every date (except infant formula) while they each mean something different, refer to a product’s quality and not its safety. This means that most foods, if stored properly, should still be safe to eat well after their date. In any case, let’s go over what each of the dates you might see on food mean.
Best if used by/before
This date is used to indicate when the manufacturer thinks the product won’t be at peak quality. If stored correctly, most foods should still be safe to eat after this point, particularly if they’re unopened. In fact, you may not notice any changes in the quality of the food. Essentially, this date is for a manufacturer to avoid complaints about a food product not being of peak quality. It’s the date at which they think their food product should be of its highest quality. So, your chips might be a little less crunchy or slightly stale after this date, but they’re still perfectly safe to eat (assuming you stored them correctly).
Sell by
This date is for stores to know how long to display a food product. It helps them manage their inventory and make sure that they don’t accidentally have years-old food sitting on their shelves. Food is still totally safe after this date.
Use by
Contrary to what it sounds like, this isn’t a safety date either, except for when used on infant formula. Once again, this date just indicates the time at which the quality of the product is expected to deteriorate. If stored correctly, the food should still be safe to eat.
Freeze by
Also not a safety date. This is the date at which the manufacturer recommends freezing any unused product to help preserve its quality.
How do I know when my food has gone bad then?
Since none of the dates on foods actually refer to the time at which the product should no longer be eaten, figuring out when that is becomes something left up to you. Get familiar with your food and what spoilage looks like. Signs of mold, off odors, texture, and color changes may all be indicators that a food is no longer safe to eat. Keep in mind that since these dates don’t refer to a product’s safety that it’s possible a food is safe to eat beyond the date and also that it might be spoiled before the date. Properly storing foods is key to ensure they last a long time.