Best By Date: Quality Label, Not a Safety Deadline
Daniel Gritzer brings hands-on cooking experience and a strong understanding of ingredients, techniques, and food science. His approach connects what happens in the kitchen with why it happens, helping readers understand common cooking questions and improve everyday meals.
Quick answer
A best by date tells you when a food is at peak quality, not when it becomes unsafe to eat. It is not a safety cutoff. Food that has passed this date is generally still safe if stored properly and showing no signs of spoilage. The one firm exception is infant formula, which must not be used after its date.
What a Best By Date Actually Tells You
A best by or best if used by date is a quality marker set by the manufacturer. It tells you the date through which the product is expected to have its best flavor, texture, or nutritional profile. That is all it does. This date is not a purchase or safety date.
Federal law does not require product dating on most foods. When manufacturers add a date, they base it on things like storage temperature, packaging type, and the food’s own traits. These factors vary by product, so dates differ from item to item.
The FSIS suggests manufacturers use the phrase “Best if Used By” on labels. Research shows people correctly read it as a quality signal, not a throw-away deadline. Confusion over date labels leads to real food waste. The USDA estimates that 30 percent of the food supply is lost or wasted at the retail and consumer levels, partly because people discard good food after misreading a date.
How Best By Compares to Other Date Labels
Three labels appear most often on US food packages, and they mean different things:
- Best if Used By / Best By: The date through which the product will be at peak flavor or quality. Not a safety date. Food past this date may still be wholesome.
- Sell-By: A store inventory tool. It tells retailers how long to display the product. It is not a safety date for consumers.
- Use-By: The last date recommended for peak quality. Also not a safety date, except on infant formula, where it is legally required and must be followed.
- Freeze-By: The date by which a product should be frozen to maintain peak quality. Not a purchase or safety date.
Because there is no single federal standard for open-date label wording, you may see variations like “Best Before” or “Best By” on the same type of product from different brands. They all carry the same meaning: quality, not safety.
Is Food Safe to Eat After the Best By Date?
For most products, yes, if the food has been stored correctly. If the date passes during home storage, a product should still be safe and wholesome if handled properly. That holds until actual spoilage becomes clear. Foods not showing signs of spoilage may be sold, donated, and consumed beyond the labeled date.
The key phrase is handled properly. How food was stored before you got it home matters a lot. A product left at room temperature for three hours has a very different safety profile than one kept cold the whole time. The date on the package assumes correct handling throughout the supply chain and in your home.
One firm exception: infant formula. Federal regulations require a Use-By date on formula. Do not buy or use baby formula after its Use-By date. The concern is nutritional, not just quality. Formula past its date may not deliver the nutrients listed on the label in the quantities an infant needs.
Proper Storage Matters More Than the Date
The date on a package assumes the food was stored correctly the entire time. If it was not, the food can become unsafe well before the date, or it may remain safe well after. Food storage practices are the real variable.
If foods are mishandled before or after the date on the package, pathogenic bacteria can quickly multiply. Two specific rules apply regardless of any date label:
- The 2-Hour Rule: Perishable food left out at temperatures above 40°F (4.4°C) should not sit out for more than 2 hours total.
- The 1-Hour Rule: When the ambient temperature is 90°F (32.2°C) or higher, that window shrinks to 1 hour.
The temperature range between 40°F and 140°F is the danger zone where bacteria multiply rapidly. A refrigerator kept at or below 40°F slows that growth. Keeping food properly cold stops bacteria from reaching dangerous levels.
Do not rely on smell, color, or texture alone to judge safety. Harmful bacteria can multiply to dangerous levels without any bad odor or visible change. These are bacteria that cause foodborne illness. Color change in meat, for example, is not a sign of spoilage according to FSIS.
A Concrete Example: Canned Foods (Illustrative)
Canned goods carry a best-quality date, not a safety expiration. These ranges are a quality guide:
| Type | Examples | Best quality window |
|---|---|---|
| High-acid canned foods | Tomatoes, fruits | 12 to 18 months |
| Low-acid canned foods | Meats, vegetables | 2 to 5 years |
These are quality windows, not safety deadlines. A can of diced tomatoes a month past its best-by date, stored in a cool dry pantry, is almost certainly still safe. That said, FSIS is clear that you should throw out cans that are dented, rusted, or swollen. Those physical signs point to a possible seal failure that can let in dangerous contamination, no matter what the date says.
When to Discard Food Regardless of the Date
The date label is not the only factor. Discard food in any of these situations:
- The can is dented, rusted, or swollen.
- The product has been left in the temperature danger zone (40°F to 140°F) for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour above 90°F).
- The food shows clear signs of spoilage: off odor, slimy texture, or visible mold. Note that spoilage bacteria cause these changes, but dangerous pathogens may be present without them.
- It is infant formula past its Use-By date.
For questions about specific meat, poultry, or egg products, the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline (1-888-674-6854) is available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time.
Frequently asked questions
Does 'sell-by' mean the food is unsafe after that date?
No. A sell-by date is an inventory tool for stores, not a safety signal for consumers. It is a store management date, not a safety date. Food purchased on or before the sell-by date can still be safe to eat for some time after, provided it has been stored correctly at or below 40°F.
Can I donate food that has passed its best by date?
Yes. Quality may decline after the date, but food should still be wholesome if it shows no signs of spoilage. Food banks are encouraged to check quality before handing food out, but the date alone is not a reason to refuse or discard a donation.
Does freezing food before the best by date make it safe indefinitely?
Freezing stops bacterial growth but does not kill bacteria already present. According to the USDA, frozen foods stay safe indefinitely from a microbial standpoint, but quality like texture and flavor does decline over time. Freeze food before the best-by date to keep the best quality, and follow recommended freezer storage times for each food type.
Why do some packages say 'best before' and others say 'best if used by'?
There is no single federal standard for open-date label wording in the US, so manufacturers use different phrases. The phrase 'Best if Used By' is widely recommended because consumers understand it as a quality signal rather than a safety cutoff. Both phrases carry the same meaning: peak quality, not a discard deadline.
Is the best by date on eggs the same as a safety date?
No. On USDA-graded egg cartons, a sell-by date may appear, but it cannot go beyond 30 days from the pack date. The date reflects quality, not a safety cutoff. USDA recommends keeping eggs in their original carton in the coldest part of the refrigerator, not the door, to maintain quality and slow bacterial growth.
Sources
- Food Product Dating | Food Safety and Inspection Service · fsis.usda.gov
- Expiration date - Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- Shelf life - Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
Prepared from these references and checked against them. References retrieved October 11, 2026.
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