Food Safety Labeling and Dating: What the Dates Really Mean

What Food Safety Labeling and Dating Actually Tell You

Food safety labeling and dating exist to guide consumers and retailers on quality and rotation, not to define a hard expiration moment. In the United States, except for infant formula, federal law does not require most date labels. That gap fuels confusion: people toss food that is still safe, while others keep products past their prime. Understanding the labels you see on packages can cut waste and lower the risk of foodborne illness.

Best-By, Use-By, and Sell-By: What Each Phrase Means

Manufacturers use a handful of standard phrases, each with a distinct purpose.

• Best-By: Indicates the date by which a product is expected to retain its peak flavor, texture, or quality. It is not a safety date.
• Use-By: The last date recommended for use while the product is at peak quality. For highly perishable items, this can function as a rough safety boundary, but it still does not guarantee spoilage the day after.
• Sell-By: Tells the retailer how long to display the product for sale. It helps stores manage inventory rotation and assumes the consumer will use the product within a reasonable time after purchase.

Why the System Causes Confusion

There is no single federal rule governing date labels on most packaged foods, which means manufacturers decide the wording and the date themselves. The result is a patchwork of inconsistent phrasing that varies by brand and product category. A 2019 study by the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic found that over 80 percent of U.S. consumers occasionally discard food based on label dates, mistaking quality cues for safety warnings. This misunderstanding drives an estimated 20 percent of household food waste.

Food Safety vs. Food Quality

Food safety labeling and dating often conflate two separate ideas. Safety relates to whether a food can cause illness if consumed, while quality relates to its sensory attributes. A cracker past its best-by date is unlikely to be unsafe, but a deli salad left too long can harbor dangerous bacteria like Listeria or Salmonella. The key distinction is the type of food: shelf-stable, dry goods behave very differently from refrigerated ready-to-eat items.

How Storage and Handling Override Dates

A date label assumes proper storage. If a package has been left in a hot car, opened, or handled inconsistently, the printed date becomes unreliable. Food safety depends on time, temperature, and cleanliness more than any stamp on the box. For perishable foods, the rule of thumb is to follow the two-hour rule: discard perishables left at room temperature for more than two hours, or one hour when ambient temperatures exceed 90°F.

What Experts Recommend Consumers Do

Food safety organizations, including the USDA and the FDA, advise consumers to use their senses. Before eating something past its labeled date, check for off odors, slimy textures, mold, or unusual discoloration. When in doubt, throw it out. For pantry items, store them in cool, dry conditions and rotate stock so older products are used first.

The Push for Standardized Dating

Regulators and industry groups have pushed for national standardization of date labels. The proposed system would limit wording to two categories: a quality-based date (such as "Best If Used By") and a safety-based date (such as "Use By"). To date, no binding federal standard has been adopted, though several food industry associations have endorsed voluntary guidance. Until a uniform system is in place, the burden falls on the consumer to interpret each label carefully.

Reducing Waste Without Sacrificing Safety

Clearer food safety labeling and dating can cut household waste without increasing risk. Freezing food before its quality date expires extends its safe window significantly. Planning meals around what needs to be used first, and trusting sensory checks over printed calendars, keeps both your budget and your health in balance.