We have all seen those dates stamped on almost every food we purchase. Often these codes look like gibberish and are very confusing. Some say, "Best by", while others may say, "Use by", while yet others will only have a date. I hope to clear up the confusion about these dates, and teach you what they mean, thereby saving you money on your grocery bill!
Did you know that the ONLY consumable product in the United States that is required to have a true expiration date on the package is baby formula? I didn't either, until I began digging into the expiration date abyss! I know of people who will toss food the day it reaches the date stamped on the package, regardless of the condition of the food. Let's break down some of the codes to find out what they mean, and if it really is necessary to toss all of the expired food from your fridge and pantry!
There are certain code words used with expiration dates, some of those are:
- Best if Used By / Before
- Sell By
- Use By
- Freeze By
- Numerical codes
While some of these indicate when the peak flavor would have passed, others are used for food safety. Let's look at each one.
Best if Used By / Before - This date is not a food safety date, rather it simply lets you know when the food would be at its best flavor and quality. If the food still looks good, smells good, tastes good, then it is good! No need to toss those cookies if it is past this date, simply look at the condition of them first!
Sell By - This one is often confused for a safety date. Many times we see diary and meat clearances with a "Sell By" date that is close, or has passed, most of the time, these items are still perfectly good, however, they have been kept on the store shelves long enough that they need to be moved quickly to make sure they do not spoil. The Sell By date is, more or less, a way for stores to monitor the length of time a product spends on the shelf. Items with an expired "Sell By" date are often still perfectly good and usable, and very safe to use. Just use your judgment on each item. For instance, milk that has been marked down that has a swollen jug, or looks like it is beginning to separate may not be of good enough quality to purchase, however, if it looks just like the fresh jugs, it will likely last 3-5 days longer once you get it home. Meat that has been marked down needs to be looked over for discolored spots or signs of spoilage before purchasing. Whenever I purchase discounted meats, I make sure they are either cooked, or frozen the day I bring them home to make sure they stay as fresh as possible until I can use them.
Vacuum sealers are a great way to preserve the freshness of your groceries. Both fresh and frozen foods will benefit!
Use By - The only time this code is intended for food safety is when it is used on baby formula, otherwise, it is simply intended to a guess at which the peak flavor and nutrition value will end. If you have a box of pasta in your pantry that has a "Use By" date that has came and gone, do not worry, that pasta will be good for even a couple of years past its date! The longer it goes, it may develop an off taste when cooked, however, the pasta itself will still be edible, just the quality of the ingredients begin to deteriorate.
Freeze By - Often seen on meat products, this date simply indicates when the product should be frozen to maintain peak flavor and quality. If the product isn't frozen by that date, and is used a day or two later, it typically will not effect the overall quality of the product. This is a good guideline to follow with meats, for example, you do not want to have your package of chicken sitting in the fridge for a week after you purchase it, it will have a higher chance of spoilage. Yet, if you freeze it, then a week later you can thaw it out and it will have maintained the peak freshness it had at the time of purchase!
Numerical Codes - Many times the numerical codes stamped in the expiration date can be difficult to decipher. Some will list the day of the year they were packaged, so the code "packed on 271/23 would mean it was packaged on the 271st day of 2023 which would be September 28th of 2023. Some codes use the same style of numerical code to show when the Best By date is, for example, "Best By 271/24" would mean that the food would be at its peak of flavor and quality no later than the 271st day of 2024, or September 28th of 2024.
Other times, some manufacturers will use a more simplified code and actually have the month/day/year, or sometimes the day/month/year stamped with the date.
Since there is not legally required guidelines for the expiration dates, the manufacturers can develop their own styles of whichever code they want, this is one reason it seems all of the dates are displayed differently. Personally, I think it would be nice to have a standard layout of the expiration codes to make it easier for the public to understand.
The length of time milk can stay fresh can be influence by its environment.
In all reality, most of these dates that are stamped on our food, are there for the retailers to manage how long a product has been on the shelf. Some are guesses as to how long the peak freshness will last with the food product. There are a variety of factors that can influence the length of freshness for any food product.
As long as the food product was kept from extreme heat, or in some cases extreme cold, and it was kept in a dry place, many times the food will last much longer than the "guestimated" expiration date. Dry goods can be stored and used for months and years past the Best By dates without much change to the quality.
One example I have used to show the environmental effect on freshness would be, if you purchased two jugs of milk at the same time during the summer. Once at the vehicle, you placed one in a cooler with ice, and one was left out and you had 30 minutes of drive time to get home. Once home, the groceries are unloaded and it may take an additional 15 minutes or so to put everything away. The jug of milk that was not in the cooler has now had 45 minutes (not counting the time spent in the grocery cart in the store) out of the ideal environment for milk, which is a refrigerator. The jug of milk that was in the cooler, only had the length of time spent in the cart. Which jug of milk do you think may last longer in your fridge? The one kept out of the cooler may not even last until the recommended Use By date. They were both purchased at the same time, yet the conditions they were kept in can make their quality of freshness vary drastically!
Don't Chance it with These Foods:
There are some foods that for safety reasons I would not advise keeping much past their dates, those foods are:
- Deli Meat - Deli meat has a higher chance of forming harmful bacteria, check for smell, and texture before eating. If there is a slimy feeling or an off putting odor, do not taste it, just toss it!
- Potato Salad - The combination of eggs, and mayonnaise in potato salad make it a food that doesn't stay in my fridge more than a day or two past the date, at most! Honestly, I prefer to make my own anyway. If I take potato salad to a potluck, the leftovers are not kept.
- Shellfish - Shellfish seem to be contaminated easily by spoilage. If I purchase shellfish and do not intend on using the same day, I put it in the freezer until I am ready. I never purchase discounted shellfish. The risk of illness from bad shellfish is too high for me to chance. Since shellfish already has an odor, many times, it can mask the smell of when it begins to go bad.
Never chance your health by eating expired shellfish!
Safety Steps for Checking Expired Food:
When checking your food, whether it has expired or not, there are a few safety steps I really encourage.
When checking canned food, toss if you see any of these signs:
- If the can is bulging in any way.
- If contents spew when opening, like they are under pressure.
- If contents are discolored.
- If the can has spots that are very rusty.
- If the contents smell yeasty (like beer or rising bread).
- If there is mold growing on the contents.
Never taste the contents of the can in question, play it safe and toss it. This is especially true with home canned, low-acid food. The possible contamination of the Botulism toxin would require proper disposal of the container and contents in a sealed container to prevent any possible spread.
Safety Steps for Food Storage:
Once you get your groceries home, to ensure the best quality for the longest time, you need to make sure you are storing your food correctly.
- Eggs - If they are farm fresh and unwashed, you can safely store eggs on the counter for up to a week. Some do more, but I do like to play it safe. Commercially purchased eggs need to be refrigerated once home.
- Fruit and Vegetables - There are some fruits and vegetables that require refrigeration, and some do not. I have included a table that shows most of them for you.
- Meats - Meats need to immediately go into the freezer, unless you plan on using in the next day or two, in which case store them in the coldest part of the refrigerator for no more than 2 days. For longer storage, consider pressure canning meats, this makes them shelf stable, pre-cooked, and super easy for meal prep! Note* If you purchase frozen meat, with the intention to divide and re-freeze, do not allow the meat to completely thaw before dividing. Once frozen meat is completely thawed, it needs to be cooked before re-freezing to eliminate bacteria growth.
- Dry Goods - Most boxed items can be safely stored in a cool, dark place like a pantry. Make sure they are safe from any moisture, and keep an eye our for any pantry moths that will try to infest your dry goods. Many items like dry beans, peas, flour and pastas can be safely vacuum sealed, either in bags or jars to maintain their freshness even longer!
These are good guidelines for how to store your fresh fruits and vegetables!
- Home-canned Food - Keep home-canned jars of food in a cool, dark space. Direct sunlight and higher temperatures can cause the food in the jars to spoil faster.
- Leftovers - Place leftovers in the fridge as soon as possible after eating. The longer food sits out, the more likely bacteria will begin to grow within it. If food is taken to a potluck, and is either left of the heat, or left out of the fridge for more than an hour, do not save it. If the potluck was outside, like a dinner-on-the-ground picnic, do not save it!
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