Food Date Labels: "Best By," "Use By" and "Sell By" Explained

The date stamped on a package is usually the maker’s best guess about quality, not a deadline for safety. Once you know what each phrase means, you can stop tossing good food and focus on the signs that actually matter: how the food was stored and how it looks, smells and feels.

A carton of milk, a bag of salad and a can of beans can all carry different wording. Here’s how to read them.

What federal law requires (and doesn’t)

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) puts it plainly: except for infant formula, product dating is not required by federal regulations (USDA FSIS). Manufacturers add dates to help shoppers and stores judge when food is at its best quality.

When a company does put a calendar date on meat, poultry or egg products, FSIS rules still apply. The date must show the month and day, the year must also appear on shelf-stable and frozen products, and a phrase explaining the date, such as “Best if Used By,” must sit right next to it (USDA FSIS).

States can add their own rules. FSIS notes that dating of some foods is required by more than 20 states (USDA FSIS), and that egg cartons may need a Sell-By or Expiration date under the egg laws of the state where they’re sold (USDA FSIS).

What each date phrase means

There’s no uniform or universally accepted wording for open dates in the United States, so you’ll see a wide variety of phrases (FDA). The four most common, as USDA FSIS defines them (USDA FSIS):

Both FSIS and FDA favor “Best if Used By” as the standard phrase. FSIS recommends it to manufacturers and retailers because research shows it tells shoppers the product will be at its best quality if used by that date (USDA FSIS). FDA supports industry efforts to make it the standard phrase (FDA).

The infant formula exception

Infant formula is the one product where the date carries more weight. Federal regulations require a Use-By date on formula, and using it by that date ensures it contains each nutrient in the quantity listed on the label (USDA FSIS). FSIS is direct: don’t buy or use baby formula after its Use-By date.

How to judge food after the date

FSIS says that, except for infant formula, a product should still be safe and wholesome after the date passes during home storage if it was handled properly, until spoilage is evident (USDA FSIS). Spoiled foods develop an off odor, flavor or texture; if a food has, don’t eat it.

FDA’s advice is similar: examine foods past their Best if Used By date for signs of spoilage, and if they’ve changed noticeably in color, consistency or texture, you may want to avoid eating them (FDA). One detail from FSIS is worth remembering: a change in the color of meat or poultry is not, by itself, an indicator of spoilage (USDA FSIS).

The date tells you nothing about how the food was treated. Spoilage can happen much faster if food isn’t stored or handled properly (USDA FSIS). For storage times after you open or cook something, see leftovers: how long they keep.

Dates and food waste

USDA estimates that 30 percent of the food supply is lost or wasted at the retail and consumer levels, and FSIS points to date confusion as one cause: wholesome food gets thrown away by people who misread the label (USDA FSIS). FDA puts date-label confusion at an estimated 20 percent of consumer food waste (FDA).

A few habits from FDA’s food-waste tips help (FDA):

• Write your shopping list after checking what’s already in the fridge, and plan the week’s meals as you go.
• Be careful buying in bulk, especially items with a short shelf life.
• Use your freezer for food you won’t get to in time.
• Donate extra packaged foods to a local food pantry or food drive.

If you have questions about a specific product’s quality or labeling, FDA suggests contacting the company that made it; many packages list contact details (FDA). Building meals around what’s already in your fridge is easier with a weekly meal plan, and more label topics live in our labels and smart shopping hub.

Your date-label checklist

• Read the phrase next to the date, not just the date itself.
• Treat Best if Used By, Sell-By and Use-By as quality guides on everything except infant formula.
• Never buy or use infant formula past its Use-By date.
• Freeze foods by their Freeze-By date if you won’t eat them in time.
• Check smell, flavor and texture before eating food past its date.
• Throw out food that was left out too long, whatever the date says.
• Keep the fridge at 40 degrees F or below and the freezer at 0 degrees F (FDA).
• Discard dented, rusted or swollen cans.
• Move soon-to-expire foods to a “use first” spot in the fridge.