Does a Best-By Date Mean Food Is Unsafe After That Day?

Does a best-by date mean food is unsafe after that day?

No: a best-by date generally tells you when a product is expected to have its best flavor or quality, not when it becomes unsafe. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) explains that, except for infant formula, food dates generally indicate quality and are not required by federal law.

This distinction matters because a label is not a substitute for storage history. A food kept properly may remain acceptable after its quality date, while a perishable item left at an unsafe temperature can become risky before the printed date. The FDA advises keeping refrigerators at 40°F or below and freezers at 0°F or below. Perishable food should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours, or one hour when the temperature is above 90°F.

Date confusion has a measurable cost. The FDA estimates that confusion over date labeling accounts for 20% of consumer food waste, within a broader food-waste problem in which 30–40% of food in the United States goes uneaten. The practical response is not to ignore labels, but to interpret them correctly and pair them with safe handling.

Infant formula is the important exception: FSIS says it should not be bought or used after its Use-By date. For other foods, assess the label as a quality signal, then consider the food category, its storage conditions, and any spoilage signs.

What is the difference between a sell-by date and a use-by date?

A sell-by date helps a retailer manage inventory, while a use-by date generally marks the last date recommended for peak quality; neither is a general safety deadline. FSIS puts it plainly: a “Sell-By” date tells the store how long to display a product for sale and is not a safety date.

Terms vary across packages, which is part of the problem. The FDA says federal law generally does not require manufacturers to place quality-based date labels on packaged foods, apart from infant formula. A 2024 federal notice from USDA and FDA recommends that food businesses voluntarily use “Best if Used By” to indicate that quality may decline after the date even though the product may still be consumed.

These labels are best read as different instructions for different decisions:

More than one phrase exists because federal rules do not prohibit other truthful, non-misleading date wording. The federal notice describes “Best if Used By” as a way to reduce confusion and food waste. For shoppers, the useful habit is to ask what the wording actually communicates rather than treating every date as the same kind of expiration.

How can I tell if food is spoiled without relying on the date?

You can look for noticeable changes and consider how the food was handled, but sight and smell cannot establish that every food is safe. FSIS says spoiled food may develop an off odor, flavor, or texture; it also cautions that a color change in meat or poultry alone does not indicate spoilage.

The FDA advises examining products past a Best if Used By date for noticeable changes in color, consistency, or texture. These checks are useful for identifying quality deterioration, but they do not replace safe temperature control or storage guidance. A normal appearance or smell is not a guarantee that a perishable food was kept safely.

Refrigerated perishables need particular attention because their recommended storage windows can be short. FoodSafety.gov’s cold-storage charts say raw ground meat, ground poultry, and fresh poultry generally keep for only 1–2 days in a refrigerator at 40°F or below. Cooked meat or poultry leftovers generally keep for 3–4 days in the refrigerator.

Freezer guidance works differently: the FoodSafety.gov chart says food kept continuously at 0°F (-18°C) or below can be stored indefinitely from a safety perspective. Its recommended freezer times address quality; for example, cooked meat or poultry leftovers are listed for 2–6 months for best quality. Freezing does not make earlier unsafe handling irrelevant, but a quality time limit is not the same as a safety cutoff.

Pantry goods also call for condition checks, not date-only decisions. FSIS advises discarding canned food if the can is dented, rusted, or swollen. It gives general best-quality ranges of 12–18 months for high-acid canned foods and 2–5 years for low-acid canned foods; those ranges describe quality, not a guarantee for a damaged can.

A reliable sequence is therefore straightforward: check whether the food was stored at the right temperature, consult a food-specific storage guide for perishables, then inspect for clear spoilage or damaged packaging. When storage was unsafe, do not let an unexpired date override that fact. When a date has passed but the item is a properly stored pantry or frozen product, do not confuse declining quality with automatic danger.