Do Food Expiration Dates Really Matter? What You Need to Know
- By the dedicated team of editors and writers at Newsletter Station.
Every time we go grocery shopping, we encounter food products marked with dates such as “Best By,” “Use By,” or “Sell By.” But what do those dates actually mean? Are they indicators of food safety, measures of quality, or simply guidelines for retailers and consumers?
The answer is more nuanced than you might expect.
Understanding food expiration dates can help you make smarter decisions about what to eat, what to store, and what to throw away. It can also help reduce unnecessary food waste. In fact, the FDA estimates that confusion about food date labels contributes to approximately 20% of consumer food waste.
So, do food expiration dates matter? Yes—but not always in the way you might think.
Understanding Food Expiration Dates
One of the biggest sources of confusion is that food manufacturers use several different date phrases, and they don't all mean the same thing. In the United States, most packaged-food date labels are voluntary quality indicators rather than federally mandated safety dates. Infant formula is an important exception.
Here are some of the most common labels you'll see:
Best By or Best if Used By
A “Best By” or “Best if Used By” date generally indicates when a product is expected to be at its best in terms of flavor, texture, freshness, or overall quality.
Food may still be safe to consume after this date if it has been stored properly and shows no signs of spoilage. The FDA and USDA encourage “Best if Used By” as a clearer way to communicate quality rather than safety.
Use By
“Use By” can have different meanings depending on the product and manufacturer, so it should not automatically be interpreted as a universal food-safety deadline.
For many foods, the date is associated with quality. However, consumers should pay particular attention to manufacturer instructions and storage requirements for highly perishable foods. Infant formula is a notable exception: FDA regulations require a “Use By” date, and formula should not be used after that date.
Sell By
A “Sell By” date is primarily intended to help retailers manage inventory and determine how long a product should remain available for sale.
It does not necessarily mean the food becomes unsafe for consumers immediately after that date. However, highly perishable foods still need to be handled and refrigerated properly.
Freeze By
You may also see a “Freeze By” date. This generally guides when a product should be frozen to maintain its best quality.
It is not necessarily an indication that the food becomes unsafe immediately afterward. Proper freezing and storage can help preserve food for considerably longer periods.
Why Food Storage Matters
A date printed on a package is only one piece of the food-safety puzzle. How the food has been handled and stored can be just as important—or more important—than the date on the label.
Consider these factors when deciding whether food is still good:
Storage Conditions
Proper refrigeration, freezing, and pantry storage can help maintain food quality and safety.
Perishable foods should be refrigerated promptly rather than left sitting at room temperature. The FDA recommends refrigerating perishable foods and leftovers within two hours, or within one hour when temperatures exceed 90°F.
Temperature Control
Temperature has a major impact on how quickly bacteria can multiply.
Keep refrigerated foods properly chilled, and don't rely solely on a printed date if a perishable item has been left unrefrigerated for too long. Similarly, frozen foods should remain frozen and should not be purchased or consumed if there are signs they have thawed and been refrozen improperly.
Packaging
Packaging can help protect food from air, moisture, contamination, and other factors that affect shelf life.
Before purchasing or consuming a product, check the package for damage. Avoid foods with leaking, bulging, severely damaged, or compromised containers.
Type of Food
Different foods have very different shelf lives.
Dry pasta, rice, cereals, canned foods, and other shelf-stable products can often remain usable beyond a quality date when stored correctly. Fresh meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, and other perishable foods require more careful handling.
Signs of Spoilage
Your senses can provide useful information, particularly for foods that have passed a quality-based date.
Look for changes in:
Smell: An unusual or unpleasant odor can be a warning sign.
Appearance: Mold, unusual discoloration, or other unexpected changes may indicate spoilage.
Texture: Sliminess, unexpected separation, or significant changes in texture can be a reason to discard a product.
Packaging: Bulging cans, leaking containers, broken seals, or damaged packaging should raise concerns.
However, it's important to remember that not all harmful bacteria cause noticeable changes in smell, taste, or appearance. You should never taste questionable food simply to determine whether it is safe.
When Should You Throw Food Away?
Knowing when to keep food and when to discard it can be difficult. A printed date alone doesn't always provide the answer.
For packaged foods marked with a quality date, consider the entire situation: Has the food been stored correctly? Is the packaging intact? Does it show signs of spoilage? Has it been exposed to unsafe temperatures?
When a food has obvious signs of spoilage, don't take chances. When in doubt, throw it out.
You should also pay close attention to food recalls. A recalled product should not be consumed simply because its expiration date has not passed. Follow the instructions provided in the recall notice, which may include returning or safely disposing of the product.
How to Reduce Food Waste Without Compromising Safety
Being cautious about food safety doesn't mean you have to throw away everything as soon as a date passes.
A few simple habits can help you reduce food waste while making sensible food-safety decisions:
Understand the label. Learn the difference between “Best By,” “Use By,” “Sell By,” and other date labels.
Store food properly. Follow recommended refrigeration, freezing, and storage instructions.
Organize your refrigerator. Keep foods that need to be used soon where they're easy to see so they don't get forgotten.
Freeze foods you won't use soon. Freezing can extend the useful life of many foods when done properly.
Check food before discarding it. For products with quality-based dates, assess the condition of the food and packaging rather than automatically throwing them away when the printed date passes.
Don't ignore food-safety concerns. A food item that has been improperly stored, recalled, or clearly spoiled should be discarded regardless of its printed date.
Reducing food waste and maintaining food safety can go hand in hand. Better understanding of date labels is one way consumers can avoid throwing away wholesome food unnecessarily.
The Bottom Line on Food Expiration Dates
Food expiration dates do matter—but they don't always mean what consumers assume they mean.
For many packaged foods, dates are primarily about quality rather than safety. A “Best By” date generally indicates when a product is expected to be at its best, not necessarily when it becomes unsafe. Storage conditions, packaging, the type of food, and signs of spoilage all play important roles in determining whether a product should be kept or discarded.
At the same time, date labels shouldn't be ignored. Pay particular attention to highly perishable foods, manufacturer storage instructions, recalls, and products such as infant formula that have specific regulatory requirements.
By understanding food date labels and practicing proper food storage, you can make more informed choices, protect your household, and reduce unnecessary food waste—all without relying on a single date printed on a package.
