{"id":17241,"date":"2025-02-06T22:12:50","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T03:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/food-health\/?p=17241"},"modified":"2025-02-06T22:12:50","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T03:12:50","slug":"dont-toss-that-food-yet-understanding-food-product-dating-labels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/food-health\/2025\/02\/06\/dont-toss-that-food-yet-understanding-food-product-dating-labels\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Toss That Food Yet! Understanding Food Product Dating Labels"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>\u2014 By <a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/food-health\/2021\/04\/15\/meet-the-bloggers\/#alex-bosse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alex Bosse<\/a>, Nutrition Education Professional for UMaine Cooperative Extension EFNEP (Expanded Food &amp; Nutrition Education Program)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>With the new year underway and spring just around the corner, you might be tidying up your kitchen and coming across boxes and cans of food past &#8211; what you assume are &#8211; their expiration dates. What now? Are they still safe to eat, or should you throw them away just to be safe? Let\u2019s take a closer look at food product dating and what these labels really mean.<\/p>\n<p>Food date labels can be confusing. Terms like \u201cBest By,\u201d \u201cUse By,\u201d and \u201cSell By\u201d often leave consumers unsure of their meaning. A <a href=\"https:\/\/chlpi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Consumer-Perceptions-on-Date-Labels_May-2016.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">study<\/a> found that 84% of people throw away food occasionally because of date labels, while 37% do so most of the time. This fear of expired foods leads to food that is safe to eat being wasted, which not only contributes to food waste but also affects your pocketbook. But do these dates indicate food safety? Let\u2019s break it down.<\/p>\n<p>Most date labels on food packages don\u2019t indicate the safety of a food\u2014rather they refer to quality, meaning the food\u2019s best flavor and texture. Also, there are no federal regulations requiring date labels on food, with the exception of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsis.usda.gov\/food-safety\/safe-food-handling-and-preparation\/food-safety-basics\/food-product-dating\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">infant formula<\/a>, which can add to the confusion. Below are some of the most common food date labels you will find in stores.<\/p>\n<h3>Most Commonly Used Food Date Labels<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201cSell By\u201d<\/strong> dates are meant for stores, not consumers\u2014as it tells retailers how long to keep a product on display. It does not indicate food safety. You\u2019ll often find this label on foods such as dairy products, eggs, meat, poultry, seafood, bread, and baked goods.<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cBest if Used By (or Before)\u201d<\/strong> is a recommendation for best flavor and quality and is not an indication of food safety. Food can still be eaten after this date but may not taste as fresh due to a decline in quality. You\u2019ll often find this label on shelf-stable foods such as canned goods, crackers, cookies, and spices.<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cUse By\u201d<\/strong> dates refer to the last date recommended for use of product at peak quality. It does not indicate food safety, with the exception of infant formula. You\u2019ll often find this label on mostly perishable foods items such as dairy products, meat, poultry, seafood, fresh produce, ready-to-eat foods, and eggs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cFreeze By\u201d<\/strong> dates refer to the recommended date to freeze a product to maintain quality. It does not indicate food safety.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As you\u2019ve recognized by now, most date labels are more about quality than food safety. However, this doesn\u2019t mean you should keep food indefinitely. While these dates are helpful for gauging food quality, always rely on your senses and good judgment to assess food before eating it. Check food for any signs of spoilage or compromised packaging (rust, dents, holes, or openings). Spoiled food usually has an off appearance, texture, or smell, so trust your senses when in doubt.<\/p>\n<p>And as always, follow proper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsis.usda.gov\/food-safety\/safe-food-handling-and-preparation\/food-safety-basics\/steps-keep-food-safe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">food handling, cooking and storage recommendations<\/a> to ensure your food stays safe to eat. Keep your refrigerated foods safe by storing them at 40\u02da F or lower. Use a thermometer to check that you\u2019ve safely cooked your meats to the recommended safe minimum internal temperature.<\/p>\n<p>The USDA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodsafety.gov\/keep-food-safe\/foodkeeper-app\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FoodKeeper<\/a> app is also a great resource for knowing how long to store foods in the pantry, fridge, or freezer to maintain optimal quality and reduce food waste.<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t have to throw away food just because it&#8217;s past the date on a label. Use caution with highly perishable foods like fresh meat, poultry and fish. These foods will list a \u201cUse by\u201d or \u201cFreeze by\u201d date to guide you with the timeline for their use. Trust your judgment, and if uncertain, remember the golden rule: \u201cwhen in doubt, throw it out!&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Resources<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chlpi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Consumer-Perceptions-on-Date-Labels_May-2016.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Consumer Perceptions of Date Labels: National Survey (Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodsafety.gov\/keep-food-safe\/foodkeeper-app\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FoodKeeper App (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsis.usda.gov\/food-safety\/safe-food-handling-and-preparation\/food-safety-basics\/food-product-dating\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Food Product Dating (USDA)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsis.usda.gov\/food-safety\/safe-food-handling-and-preparation\/food-safety-basics\/steps-keep-food-safe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Keep Food Safe! Food Safety Basics (USDA)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2014 By Alex Bosse, Nutrition Education Professional for UMaine Cooperative Extension EFNEP (Expanded Food &amp; Nutrition Education Program) With the new year underway and spring just around the corner, you might be tidying up your kitchen and coming across boxes and cans of food past &#8211; what you assume are &#8211; their expiration dates. What [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":169,"featured_media":17247,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[278,258],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spoonful-food-safety","category-spoonful"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Don\u2019t Toss That Food Yet! 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