One of the more confusing elements of food safety is date labels and expiration. Most packaged foods have some kind of date stamped on the packaging, and many fresh foods do not. These dates can mean many things depending on the product and the words on the label. To both stay safe from foodborne illness and to reduce food waste, make sure you are familiar with each phrase.
Definitions
Federal regulations do not define the different terms on food packaging, nor do they require foods to follow any pattern. Infant formula is the only exception. The Use-By date on baby formula is carefully chosen based on the breakdown of nutrients in the powder. Since babies have very high nutrition needs to grow, infant formula should never be used past the stamped date. At that point, the product is lower in nutrition than is stated, which means baby is not getting everything they need.
For anything other than baby formula, use the following list as a guide:
- Sell-By: This is printed by the food manufacturer for the store’s purpose. It simply states the last day the store can sell you that product. You can usually eat food past this date.
- Best-By/Best if Used By: This is a mention of the food’s quality. It is the manufacturer’s estimate for when the food will decline in quality. This could mean it will get stale, will lose some of its flavor, or just not be as enjoyable as it would be earlier. It is typically still safe to eat.
- Use-By: Infant formula is not safe to use after this date. All other foods are likely still safe—in those cases, this is a recommendation similar to Best-By.
- Packaged On: For deli products or other foods packed in store, this may be printed to tell you when a food was at its peak. Similar to leftover foods you prepared at home, it will be ideal to eat these foods within 3 or 4 days of the packaged date. However, they may still be safe past that time frame.
- Use Within X Days of Opening: Often on salad dressings, salsas, sauces, and drinks, this phrase is a recommendation based on quality and flavor. While it is still likely safe to eat after the recommended time period, it may not taste as good as it had when freshly opened.
How to Tell Something Went Bad
Since you cannot fully rely on dates to know if a food has spoiled, you can figure it out yourself. Your eyes and nose can be better inspectors than the date label. If you are suspicious that something has gone bad, look at it closely and smell it. If there is visible mold, it should be thrown away. If it has changed in color, such as raw meat going from red to grey, it is no longer safe to eat. Smell is another big indicator. Milk is often safe past its stamped date, but if it smells sour, it has likely gone bad. Other foods may also have obviously bad spoilage smells. Feel free to get a second opinion from a friend, family member, or neighbor. While avoiding food waste is a great thing to do, avoiding foodborne illness from rotten food is even more important.
Foods To Avoid in General for At-Risk Groups
Here is one final note for those who may be more at a higher risk for foodborne illness—when in doubt, throw it out. These high risk groups include the following:
- Pregnant people
- Children under age 5
- Older adults
- People with cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, organ transplants, and/or autoimmune diseases
For each of these groups, some foods are specifically off the menu, such as deli meats, raw cheese, and undercooked beef. That is because their immune systems are either weakened by old age, a medical condition, or an underdeveloped immune system. If you belong to or cook for someone in these groups, make sure you are aware of the foods to avoid. You should also be extra careful of date labels. Rely on your eyes and nose to identify spoilage, but when in doubt, throw it out!
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