The Bewildering World of Food Expiration Terminology
- erikasiesennop
- Oct 6
- 6 min read
Ever find yourself in the grocery store or in your kitchen lost in thought over all the different food expiry labels and phrases, and what they mean in terms of your food safety? Yeah, we hear that. Food expiration labels can be really helpful in making those “To eat, or not to eat?” decisions related to food quality, and they can just as easily leave one befuddled. We’d like to help you cut back on the head scratching around this and break down some of the (many…) food expiry labels and markings you’ll find on products you buy. Further, we can discuss whether these labels are required by law, and who oversees them, as well as go over some food safety measures. Let’s take a closer look!
Some background on federal versus state regulation
Food expiration labels are not required by federal law, apart from on infant formula, for which there is a federal expiration mandate. In the case of infant formula, a “Use By” date that ensures nutrient content is required. So, while the federal government (which includes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA) does not require food expiry labeling (except for infant formula), states can and have created their own regulations around expiration date labeling. As you might be starting to imagine, this can result in a lot of confusion and complicated differences in food expiration labeling across states, and not all states may enact as stringent requirements as others (...cue the head scratching). Further, while many folks might think that expiration labels are meant to indicate food safety, it’s actually that they are meant to indicate food quality. The dates listed are estimates of when the food will still be of the highest quality, but do not necessarily denote the safety of the food. This can mean that people throw out food that is “past its expiration date”, but may still be safe to eat, and perhaps just has undergone a change (the extent to which may vary) in quality. There have been efforts made to clarify and streamline food expiration systems, such as the FDA and USDA encouraging the food industry to use standardized language such as “Best if Used By” to denote highest quality. In 2023, the Food Labeling Act was introduced to standardize food labeling language to “Best if Used By” for quality, and a separate “discard date” for safety which could help reduce both confusion and food waste. The Food Safety and and Inspection Services (FSIS), an agency within the FDA that oversees meat, poultry, and egg products, has their own regulations for voluntary food expiration date labeling. If such labels are going to be placed on products, they must be truthful, not misleading, and comply with the FSIS regulations, which you can read more about here.
Let’s get to those food expiration phrases/terms…
You may see phrases/terms on food packaging such as:
“Use By”: This is the date by which it is recommended to use the product to have the best chance at the top flavor, freshness, texture, and appearance. After this date, all of these can start to decline. Usually this phrase/term is seen on shelf-stable products (such as canned goods, condiments, or dry goods), so the date may be decently out in the future. Apart from infant formula, the “Use By” date is not an indicator of food safety.
“Sell By”: The last date on which a store can still sell a food is the “Sell By” date. After this date, the food should no longer be available for sale. Sometimes stores will mark down items that are near their sell-by date, and these are still okay to buy and eat. It is not recommended to buy a food on its “Sell By” date unless you plan to eat it right away. Foods that might have a “Sell By” date on them include fresh foods, prepared foods, perishable ready-to-eat foods (such as salads, sandwiches, etc.).
“Freeze By”: This date refers to the date by which a food should be frozen for peak freshness and quality. It does not refer to safety or a purchase timeline. A food could be purchased after this date and safely prepared or frozen for later use so long as there is no spoilage, it just might not be of the same quality after the date indicated.
“Best By”/”Best if Used By”/”Best Before”: These vary a bit but all refer to the last date that the product will be at its peak of freshness, taste, and presentation. After this date, the freshness, taste, and presentation may start to decline, but it does not necessarily mean the product is no longer safe to eat - this is about the quality of the food. As an example, cereal can be safely eaten past its “Best By” date, though the quality (texture, freshness) likely won’t be the same.
“Expiration”: This term means the food is no longer safe to eat past the date indicated. Foods exceeding their “Expiration” date should be thrown out, as eating them could cause illness.
Others you might see: “Packed On”, which indicates the day the food was packaged. “Guaranteed Fresh”, which serves as another way of denoting the expiration date.
How to know if a food is safe to use
Whether or not a food has passed its date indicated, there are ways to check for food safety. Spoiled foods or those that are unsafe to eat will likely exhibit detectable changes in appearance, smell, taste, and texture. There are two types of bacteria that can form on food - pathogenic bacteria and spoilage bacteria. Pathogenic bacteria cause foodborne illness (or food poisoning), but aren’t always detectable. Spoilage bacteria are to blame for causing deterioration of foods that change the food’s appearance, smell, taste, and texture, and can make them unsafe to eat. Note, meat or poultry can exhibit changes in color that are not always indicative of spoilage, and you can learn more about that here. Here are some ways to use senses to help determine food safety, though remember, not all food safety risks are detectable with senses…
Sight: Changes in color such as black, brown, green, or blue spots. You may also see mold forming, and see here for additional information on food mold and possible dangers.
Touch: Changes in texture such as sliminess, foods changing from hard to soft (such as a cucumber that has become mushy), foods changing from soft to hard (such as stale bread).
Smell: Unpleasant and unusual odors - food might smell “bad” and has taken on a different or strong scent. You might detect rancid, sour, sulfurous, musty, strong fishy or pungent smells, and any/all could indicate food spoilage.
Taste: Generally, you shouldn’t taste foods you suspect may have gone bad. If you take a bite of something you think is safe and still okay to eat (perhaps you don’t detect anything questionable by sight or smell and take a bite), and then experience sour, bitter, and/or “off” tastes that are not normal for the food you’re eating, spit it out/stop eating it and get rid of it.
If using senses to determine food safety isn’t accessible for you, there are other ways to protect yourself, and many of these practices are good for everyone. It’s best to not rely solely on senses, anyway.
Some additional ideas to preserve and/or determine food safety include:
Use a food thermometer to test for doneness when cooking, which can kill harmful bacteria. See here for information on the “Danger Zone” with regard to food temperatures as well as guidelines for proper cooking temperatures.
Buy your groceries from sources you trust and that adhere to food safety standards, which can reduce the likelihood of food spoilage and/or contamination. Also look over the packaging of the food you’re purchasing to ensure it’s not damaged, opened, majorly dented, rusting, etc.
Store foods at proper temperatures - refrigerate perishables at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and keep frozen foods in the freezer (or store perishables in the freezer before they expire to use later). Check out this page for guidance on how long you can store cold foods, and this one for guidance on storing shelf-stable foods.
Keep your hands and space clean - be sure to wash hands and sanitize your food prep space and equipment to limit contamination and keep you safe.
Be mindful of cross contamination, especially between raw meats, poultry, etc. and other foods that won’t be cooked.
If in doubt, just toss it out. Even if you’re unsure, if you detect something is “off” with a food, it’s okay to get rid of it. We realize this will mean needing to throw away food, and if it means you’re not left wondering about your safety, this is okay.
Food expiration and safety overall can feel complicated. We hope this has helped provide some clarity, though if you find you’d like to talk more with a dietitian about food expiration and safety, feel free to reach out! We care a lot about you and your food safety, so know that we’re here and happy to help!
Sources:
Written by Sarita Aguirre, MS, RDN, LDN, CEDS-C
