What Do the Dates on Food Products Mean?

Are Dates for Food Safety or Food Quality?

Except for infant formula, food product dating is not an indicator of a food product’s safety and is not required by state or Federal law. Food manufacturers provide dating to help consumers and retailers decide when food is of best quality. 

When dates are voluntarily applied by a food manufacturer, the foods must be labeled in a manner that is truthful and not misleading. To comply, a calendar date should express both the month and day of the month. In the case of shelf-stable and frozen products, the year should also be displayed. Additionally, immediately adjacent to the date should be a phrase explaining the meaning of that date such as "Best if Used By."

What Are the Requirements for Dating Infant Formula?

Federal regulations require a "Use-By" date on the product label of infant formula under inspection of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Consumption by this date ensures the formula contains not less than the quantity of each nutrient as described on the label. Formula must maintain an acceptable quality to pass through an ordinary bottle nipple.

The "Use-By" date is selected by the manufacturer, packer or distributor of the product on the basis of product analysis throughout its shelf life, tests, or other information. It is also based on the conditions of handling, storage, preparation, and use printed on the label. Do not buy or use baby formula after its "Use-By" date.

Types of Food Product Dating

Two types of product dating may be shown on a food product label. "Open Dating" is a calendar date applied to a food product by the manufacturer or retailer.  The calendar date provides consumers with information on the estimated period of time for which the product will be of best quality and to help the store determine how long to display the product for sale. Open dating is found on most foods including meat, poultry, egg, and dairy products."

“Closed Dating” is a code that consists of a series of letters and/or numbers applied by manufacturers to identify the date and time of production. “Closed or coded dates" are a series of letters and/or numbers and typically appear on shelf-stable products such as cans and boxes of food.

What Date-Labeling Phrases are Used?

There are no uniform or universally accepted descriptions used on food labels for open dating in the United States.  As a result, there are a wide variety of phrases used on labels to describe quality dates.

Examples of commonly used phrases:

• A "Best if Used By/Before" date indicates when a product will be of best flavor or quality.  It is not a purchase or safety date.

• A "Sell-By" date tells the store how long to display the product for sale for inventory management.  It is not a safety date. 

• A “Use-By" date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. It is not a safety date except for when used on infant formula as described below.

• A “Freeze-By” date indicates when a product should be frozen to maintain peak quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.

How Do Manufacturers Determine Quality Dates? 

Factors including the length of time and the temperature at which a food is held during distribution and offered for sale, the characteristics of the food, and the type of packaging will affect how long a product will be of optimum quality. Manufacturers and retailers will consider these factors when determining the date for which the product will be of best quality.

For example, sausage formulated with certain ingredients used to preserve the quality of the product or fresh beef packaged in a modified atmosphere packaging system that helps ensure that the product will stay fresh for as long as possible.  These products will typically maintain product quality for a longer period of time because of how the products are formulated or packaged.

The quality of perishable products may deteriorate after the date passes; however, such products should still be safe to eat if handled properly. Consumers must evaluate the quality of the product prior to its consumption to determine if the product shows signs of spoilage.

Proper Food Handling and Storage

Store canned foods and other shelf stable products in a cool, dry place. Never put them above or beside the stove, under the sink, in a damp garage or basement, or any place exposed to high or low temperature extremes. Temperatures below 75°F are best. Check your pantry every few weeks and use canned goods you have had on hand for a while. Don't purchase bulging, rusted, leaking, or deeply dented cans.

Foods requiring refrigeration such as milk should be stored to maintain a temperature of 41°F or below. Canned foods should be refrigerated after opening if not used immediately. These foods should be used within 7 days after opening.

Are Foods Safe to Eat After the Date Passes?

With the exception of infant formula (described above), if the date passes during home storage, a product should still be safe and wholesome if handled properly until the time spoilage is evident. Spoiled foods will develop an off odor, flavor, or texture due to naturally occurring spoilage bacteria. If a food has developed such spoilage characteristics, it should not be eaten.

Microorganisms such as molds, yeasts, and bacteria can multiply and cause food to spoil. Viruses are not capable of growing in food and do not cause spoilage. There are two types of bacteria that can be found on food: pathogenic bacteria, which cause foodborne illness, and spoilage bacteria, which do not cause illness but do cause foods to deteriorate and develop unpleasant characteristics such as an undesirable taste or odor making the food not wholesome. 

When spoilage bacteria have nutrients (food), moisture, time, and favorable temperatures, these conditions will allow the bacteria to grow rapidly and affect the quality of the food.  Food spoilage can occur much faster if food is not stored or handled properly.  A change in the color of meat or poultry is not an indicator of spoilage, but of oxidation.

What Do Can Codes Mean? 

Can codes are a type of closed dating which enable the tracking of product in interstate commerce. These codes also enable manufacturers to rotate their stock and locate their products in the event of a recall. Can codes appear as a series of letters and/or numbers and refer to the date the product was canned.  The codes are not meant for the consumer to interpret as a "Best if Used By" date.

Cans must exhibit a code or the date of canning. Cans may also display "open" or calendar dates. Usually these are "Best if Used By" dates for peak quality. Discard cans that are dented, rusted, or swollen. High-acid canned foods (e.g. tomatoes and fruits) will keep their best quality for 12 to 18 months. Whereas, low-acid canned foods (e.g. meats and vegetables) will keep for two to five years.

What Do the Dates on Egg Cartons Mean?

Many eggs reach stores only a few days after the hen lays them. Egg cartons with the USDA grade shield on them must display the "pack date" (the day that the eggs were washed, graded, and placed in the carton). This number is a three-digit code that represents the consecutive day of the year starting with January 1 as 001 and ending with December 31 as 365. When a "sell-by" date appears on a carton bearing the USDA grade shield, the code date may not exceed 30 days from the date of pack.

After purchasing eggs, it is recommended that they be refrigerated in their original carton and placed in the coldest part of the refrigerator, not in the door due to loss of coolness from repeated opening of the door.

How Does Date Labeling Impact Food Waste? 

USDA estimates that 30% of the food supply is lost or wasted at the retail and consumer levels. One source of food waste arises from consumers or retailers throwing away wholesome food because of confusion about the meaning of dates displayed on the label. To reduce consumer confusion and wasted food, USDA recommends that food manufacturers and retailers that apply product dating use a “Best if Used By” date. Research shows that this phrase conveys to consumers that the product will be of best quality if used by the calendar date shown. Many food products are safe to consume past the date on the label. However, regardless of the date, consumers should evaluate the quality of the food product prior to its consumption.

Acknowledgement: Much of the above information was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS).