7 Common Misunderstandings About Food Expiration Dates
You’ve probably stood in your kitchen, turned a food package around, and searched for the expiration date. Maybe you found a “Best By” label, a “Sell By” date, or a string of numbers that made little sense. They might look similar, but they don’t always mean the same thing.
In fact, “expiration date” is often used as a catch-all term for several different food labels. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there is no universally accepted wording for these dates. Here are seven common misunderstandings worth clearing up.
“Best By” Doesn’t Automatically Mean the Food Has Expired
That little “Best By” label can sound like a final deadline, especially when you’re checking groceries that have been sitting in the pantry. However, its meaning is more specific than many shoppers realize.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) explains that “Best if Used By/Before” refers to when a product is expected to offer its best flavor or quality. The FDA also supports “Best if Used By” as a standard way of communicating this information.
That makes it different from a label explicitly stating “Expires On.” The distinction matters because the wording tells you what the manufacturer is communicating about the product, rather than simply presenting a date without context.
“Sell By” Is Mainly for Grocery Stores
A “Sell By” date might look like a deadline intended for shoppers, but its primary purpose is actually behind the scenes.
According to the USDA, this label tells retailers how long a product should remain displayed for sale. It helps grocery stores manage inventory and organize the products they offer customers.
Think about how many packages a supermarket handles every day. Retailers need information that helps them manage merchandise, and “Sell By” serves that purpose.
Unlike “Best if Used By,” which communicates expected product quality, “Sell By” is mainly about retail operations. Understanding that difference makes the label easier to interpret.
“Use By” Doesn’t Mean Exactly the Same Thing for Every Food
Of all the phrases printed on food packages, “Use By” can sound especially firm. It seems to leave little room for interpretation, but the wording has an important distinction.
The USDA’s food product dating guidance generally describes a “Use-By” date as the manufacturer’s last recommended date for using a product while it is at peak quality. However, that explanation doesn’t apply universally.
Infant formula is a notable exception because federal regulations specifically require a “Use-By” date on its packaging.
In other words, the same two words can appear in different regulatory contexts. That’s why treating every “Use By” label as identical can lead to confusion about what the date actually represents.
Related: 12 Things to Know Before Wrapping Food in Aluminum Foil for Cooking
Different Date Labels Aren’t Interchangeable
It’s easy to lump every printed food date into one category. After all, most of them include a familiar month, day, or year, making the differences seem less important. But the words beside those numbers carry meaning.
The FDA and USDA explain that food manufacturers in the United States have not traditionally followed one universally accepted system of date-label terminology. Consequently, shoppers may encounter several phrases across different packages.
A label designed for store inventory management is not the same as one communicating expected peak quality. The FDA supports more consistent use of “Best if Used By,” but that preference does not make the wording mandatory across all packaged foods.
Not Every Packaged Food Needs a Federal Quality Date
You might assume that every packaged food sold in America must carry an expiration date because federal law requires it. The actual rules are more nuanced.
The FDA states that, apart from infant formula, federal law generally does not require manufacturers to print quality-based date labels on packaged foods.
However, that doesn’t mean every type of dating information is optional. Separate federal requirements cover packing dates or codes for certain poultry products and commercially sterile, thermally processed products.
Egg cartons bearing the USDA grade shield must also display a pack date. Additionally, state rules concerning egg dating can differ.
The important distinction is between a voluntary quality date and packing information required for particular products. They aren’t necessarily governed by the same rules.
A Printed Date Doesn’t Tell You Everything About a Product
A date stamped on a package looks precise. It gives you a specific day, but that doesn’t mean it describes every detail about the individual product.
According to the USDA, manufacturers consider several factors when establishing quality dates. These include the characteristics of the food, its packaging, and the time and temperature involved during distribution and sale.
The printed date represents an expectation developed from those considerations. It isn’t a complete record of everything that has happened to one particular package.
That’s an important distinction because a quality date communicates an estimate rather than a detailed account of a product’s entire journey from production to the grocery shelf.
Related: 7 Foods That Contain More Calcium Than a Glass of Milk
Not Every Number on a Food Package Is an Expiration Date
Ever noticed a mysterious collection of letters and numbers printed on the bottom of a can or along the edge of a package? It’s tempting to assume they’re another version of an expiration date.
However, manufacturers also use codes to identify production information. The USDA distinguishes between “open dating” and “closed dating”. Open dating uses calendar dates, while closed dating uses combinations of letters or numbers connected to production.
For example, codes on canned goods can help manufacturers identify and track products. These codes aren’t necessarily intended to communicate the date of expected peak quality to shoppers.
So, while some printed numbers are recognizable calendar dates, others serve a completely different purpose within the manufacturing process.
The next time you notice a date on a grocery package, pay attention to the words surrounding it. Understanding the difference between quality labels, retail dates, and production codes makes those little markings much easier to understand.
