The yogurt says yesterday. The box of crackers says last month. The can of black beans in the back of the cabinet says a date you don't even remember living through. Toss them all to be safe? For many households, that reflex quietly sends good food and real money into the trash every week.
Date labels on food in the United States are far less strict, and far less about safety, than most people assume. Once you know what each phrase means and how to check food yourself, you can stop throwing out perfectly good groceries without taking chances on the things that matter.
🏷️ Are food dates required by law?
For almost everything, no. The USDA's guide to food product dating states that, except for infant formula, product dating is not required by federal regulations. Manufacturers add dates voluntarily, mostly to tell shoppers and stores when the product will be at its best.
There is also no single, standard wording. That is why you see "Best By," "Best if Used By," "Use By," "Sell By," "Enjoy By," "Expires" and more. Some states have their own rules for certain products, such as milk or eggs, which adds to the mix.
Two kinds of dating show up on packages:
- Open dating is a calendar date you can read, like "Best if Used By 03/14." It is common on meat, poultry, eggs and dairy.
- Closed dating is a code of letters and numbers, usually on cans and boxes. It tells the manufacturer when and where the product was made, which helps with stock rotation and recalls. It is not meant for shoppers to read as a freshness date.
📖 What does each phrase actually mean?
| Label | Who it's for | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Best if Used By / Best By | You | When the product should taste and look its best. Not a safety cutoff. |
| Use By | You | The last date the maker recommends for peak quality. Required and meaningful for infant formula. |
| Sell By | The store | How long the store should display the product. You can still use it at home after this date. |
| Freeze By | You | When to freeze the product to keep peak quality. |
| Pack date (eggs) | Tracking | The day the eggs were washed, graded and packed. |
| Can codes | Manufacturer | Production and lot information, not a freshness date. |
The USDA recommends that manufacturers use "Best if Used By" because research shows shoppers correctly read it as a quality date. The FDA supports the same phrase. If you see it, think "peak flavor," not "danger after."
✅ Is food safe after the date passes?
For most foods, yes, if it was stored properly and shows no signs of spoilage. According to the USDA, food that is not showing spoilage should still be wholesome after a "Best if Used By" date, and products can even be sold or donated past it.
The real question is how the food was handled, not the date on it. Food can become unsafe well before its date if it was mishandled: left in a hot car, thawed on the counter, or kept in a fridge that runs warmer than 40 °F. On the other hand, a properly stored box of pasta a few months past its date is usually just fine.
There are two different groups of bacteria to understand:
- Spoilage bacteria make food smell off, taste sour, turn slimy or change texture. They tell you food has gone bad, and most people would never eat it.
- Pathogenic bacteria cause foodborne illness and usually don't change how food looks, smells or tastes.
That is why the right approach is: follow safe storage times for perishable food, and use your senses to judge quality on everything else.
🧪 How do you check food past its date?
Look, smell and, for shelf-stable foods, consider the texture.
Signs a perishable food has gone bad:
- Sour, rancid or unpleasant smell
- Slimy or sticky surface on meat, poultry or deli meat
- Mold on soft foods, bread, yogurt, sour cream or soft cheese
- Bulging packaging or a lid that has popped up
- Milk that is thick, lumpy or sour
The USDA notes that a change in the color of meat or poultry by itself is not a sign of spoilage. Ground beef that is brown inside the package is often just meat that was not exposed to oxygen.
Shelf-stable foods like pasta, rice, flour, cereal, crackers and spices rarely become unsafe; they go stale, lose flavor or, in the case of oils and whole-grain flours, turn rancid. Smell is the best test. Rancid oil smells like crayons or old paint.
Canned foods are some of the longest-keeping items in a budget pantry. The USDA says high-acid canned foods such as tomatoes and fruit keep their best quality for 12 to 18 months, and low-acid canned foods like vegetables and meat for 2 to 5 years. Throw out any can that is deeply dented, rusted, leaking or swollen, regardless of the date.
Tip: When you unpack groceries, move older items to the front and put new ones behind them. This "first in, first out" habit means dates rarely sneak up on you.
🥚 What do the numbers on an egg carton mean?
Egg cartons confuse more people than almost any other label. Cartons with the USDA grade shield must show a pack date, a three-digit number that represents the day of the year: 001 is January 1, and 365 is December 31. So "032" means the eggs were packed on February 1.
Many cartons also have a "sell-by" or "best-by" date. When a carton with the USDA grade shield shows a sell-by date, it can't be more than 30 days after the pack date. After you bring eggs home:
- Keep them in their original carton in the coldest part of the refrigerator, not the door.
- According to the USDA cold storage chart, raw eggs in the shell keep 3 to 5 weeks in the refrigerator.
- If an egg has an odd smell when you crack it, discard it.
🍼 Which date should you never ignore?
Infant formula. It is the one product where a "Use By" date is required by federal law. The date guarantees the formula still contains the amount of each nutrient listed on the label and will flow properly through a bottle nipple. The FDA notes that some baby foods should also be used by the date on the package. Never buy or use infant formula past its use-by date.
Also take these seriously, even though they are not a legal "safety" date:
- Ready-to-eat refrigerated foods like deli meat, hot dogs and smoked fish. The FDA advises using these as soon as possible because Listeria bacteria can grow slowly even at refrigerator temperature.
- Refrigerated storage times after opening. An opened package of lunch meat keeps 3 to 5 days, regardless of a date printed weeks in the future on the unopened package.
- Recalls. If a product is recalled, the date does not matter. Follow the recall instructions.
🏁 How to use dates without wasting money
Treat most dates as a quality hint and the storage time charts as your safety guide. Store food correctly, check it with your eyes and nose, and pay close attention to infant formula, ready-to-eat deli foods and anything that has been opened. That approach keeps your family safe and keeps edible food out of the trash.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can I eat yogurt or milk after the date on the carton?
Often, yes, if it has been kept cold the whole time and the container was not left out. Check for sour smell, curdling, mold or a puffed lid. If any of those show up, discard it.
Is it legal for stores to sell food past its date?
In most cases, yes, because federal law does not require dates except on infant formula. Some states regulate dates on specific products such as milk or eggs, so rules vary by location.
Should I throw out a can that is past its best-by date?
Not just for the date. If the can is intact, without deep dents, rust, swelling or leaks, the food inside is usually safe, though quality may slowly decline. Swollen or leaking cans should be thrown out without tasting.
Does freezing food stop the date from mattering?
Freezing pauses the clock. Food kept constantly at 0 °F stays safe, so you can freeze bread, meat or cheese before its date and use it later. Quality declines slowly over months, so label packages with the freeze date.