With the recent influx of food recalls, consumers have been forced to check their products to see if they should be tossed. But now, the question has been raised, what’s the difference between sell-by, best-by, and expiration dates?
Following multiple Trader Joe’s recalls for several beloved items, including its broccoli cheddar soup and almond cookies, some online have wondered why food packaging uses different language.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, there is no uniform or universally accepted description used on food labels for open dating in the U.S.
Because of this, the agency shared that there is a “wide variety of phrases used on labels to describe quality dates.”
For example, there are four commonly used phrases for packaging, including best if used by/before, sell-by, use-by, and freeze-by.
According to the USDA, “best if used by/before” typically indicates when a product will have its best flavor or quality and is not meant to be a “purchase or safety date.”
“Sell-by” is used for the store to know how long to display a product for sale as a means of inventory management. It is also not used as a safety date.
The “use-by” phrase is only used as a safety date when on infant formula but is otherwise meant to describe when the product will last be at peak quality, the agency shared.
The last phrase, “freeze-by,” indicates when a product should be frozen in order to maintain peak quality and is otherwise not meant to be used as a purchase or safety date.
So, when is it time to pitch food?
The FSIS says that, with the exception of infant formula, if the date passes while being stored at home, “a product should still be safe and wholesome if handled properly until the time spoilage is evident.”
To detect when food has spoiled, the agency says to look for an “off odor, flavor or texture,” which is caused by naturally occurring spoilage bacteria.
“If a food has developed such spoilage characteristics, it should not be eaten,” the USDA warns.
For more information on food spoilage and best practices, visit the USDA’s food safety page here.
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