Expiration dates mean food is unsafe after
Most date labels on food packaging, including 'best by' and 'sell by' dates, indicate peak quality, not a firm safety cutoff, and are not federally standardized or required in the United States except for infant formula. Food can often remain safe to eat well past these dates, though this varies by food type and storage conditions, and does not apply universally.
What we know
Date labels on packaged food in the United States are largely unregulated at the federal level, with the significant exception of infant formula, for which the FDA does require a "use by" date tied to nutrient stability and safety. For nearly all other foods, phrases like "sell by," "best by," "best before," and "use by" are voluntarily applied by manufacturers, according to guidance published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, and are intended primarily as manufacturer estimates of peak flavor, texture, or quality, not as definitive safety cutoffs beyond which food becomes dangerous. This distinction, though clearly documented by regulators, is poorly understood by many consumers, contributing to substantial and measurable food waste.
Research on food waste attributable to date label confusion has been substantial: a widely cited analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Harvard Law School's Food Law and Policy Clinic estimated that confusing date labeling contributes to a meaningful share of the roughly 30 to 40 percent of the U.S. food supply that goes to waste, with consumer surveys finding many people mistakenly treat "sell by" and "best by" dates as safety deadlines and discard food that remains perfectly safe and often still good in quality. This research has driven policy discussion, including proposals to standardize labeling nationally around a simplified two-category system, though as of the mid 2020s, comprehensive federal standardization has not been enacted, leaving significant state-by-state and manufacturer-by-manufacturer variation.
This does not mean date labels are meaningless or that all food remains safe indefinitely past its labeled date; the accurate picture is more nuanced. Perishable foods, particularly deli meats, soft cheeses, and ready-to-eat refrigerated items, can develop harmful bacterial growth, including Listeria monocytogenes, over time even under refrigeration, and USDA and FDA guidance does recommend attention to "use by" dates specifically for these higher-risk categories, alongside proper refrigeration temperature (at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit) as a critical safety factor independent of the date itself. Shelf-stable foods, including canned goods, dried pasta, rice, and many packaged snack foods, generally remain safe well beyond their labeled dates, sometimes for years, with primarily quality changes, such as staleness or nutrient degradation, rather than safety risks, developing over that extended period.
The most reliable practical guidance from food safety authorities is that consumers should use sensory evaluation, smell, appearance, and texture, alongside awareness of the food category's typical risk profile and how it was stored, rather than relying on the printed date alone as a strict safety threshold. The CDC and USDA specifically note that proper food handling and storage practices, not adherence to package dates, are the primary determinant of foodborne illness risk for most products; a food stored improperly (left unrefrigerated for extended periods, for example) can become unsafe well before its printed date, while a food stored correctly can often remain safe well after it. The claim "expiration dates equal safety cutoffs" is therefore mixed: dates carry real, useful quality information and matter more for specific higher-risk perishable categories, but treating them as a uniform, hard safety deadline across all food types is not supported by current food science or federal guidance.
Common claims
- Food is unsafe to eat after the date on the package.Mostly false. Date labels indicate quality peaks, not safety cutoffs.
- 'Use by' and 'best by' mean the same thing.False. They have different intended meanings, though neither is consistently regulated.
- Infant formula expiration dates must be followed.True. Infant formula is the only US product with a federally mandated expiration date.
Evidence hierarchy
All sources
- Food Product DatingU.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service · 2023
- The Dating Game: How Confusing Food Date Labels Lead to Food Waste in AmericaNatural Resources Defense Council and Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic · 2013
- Food Product DatingU.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2023
- Listeria and food safety guidanceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · 2023