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Food-safety experts say a best-by date generally marks when quality may begin to decline, not a universal deadline for safety. Shelf-stable foods may remain usable past that date if packaging is intact and the food shows no spoilage, but infant formula and perishable foods require greater caution.
Food-safety experts say a best-by date is generally about freshness and quality, not a guarantee that food becomes unsafe that day, according to a Good Housekeeping report. They advise checking the product, its packaging and how it was stored rather than treating every date label as the same kind of safety deadline.
A sell-by date is intended for retailers, indicating when a product should be removed from sale or stock rotated. Food safety and policy expert Dr. Darin Detwiler told Good Housekeeping that the label is “literally about stock rotation.” A best-by date, by contrast, indicates when a product may begin to lose freshness, he said; it does not automatically mean the food is unsafe afterward.
The report says shelf-stable foods, including dry grains, bottled items, jerky and canned goods, are typically safe beyond a best-by date when the package is intact. Good Housekeeping Chief Food Director Kate Merker cautioned that damaged cans should be discarded: avoid cans that are dented, rusty or bulging. Even when an item remains safe, its taste and texture may have deteriorated, and frozen foods can lose quality over time.
Nutrition Director Stefani Sassos recommends watching for spoilage signs such as mold, unusual odors, flavors or textures, while also considering whether food was properly stored and handled. The report singles out infant formula as a product for which the date should not be ignored. For meat, poultry and dairy, Sassos advises close attention to storage and signs of spoilage. The article does not provide a complete food-by-food safety chart or storage-time guidance.
Date Labels Affect Household Waste
The distinction matters because people may discard food that is still usable when they mistake a quality label for a safety cutoff. The report cites an estimate that nearly 120 billion pounds of food are wasted each year in the United States and a ReFED study attributing up to 7% of U.S. food waste to confusion about packaging labels. These figures describe overall waste and the study’s attribution; they do not establish how much waste a household can prevent by changing its habits.
Using dates as one piece of information, alongside the product’s condition and storage history, may help consumers avoid unnecessary disposal. That does not mean a food should be eaten simply to avoid waste: when there are signs of spoilage, damaged packaging or uncertainty about safe handling, the safer choice may be to discard it.
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Sell-By and Best-By Labels
The labels have different purposes, but consumers can encounter several date terms on food packages. In the report, Detwiler describes sell-by dates as guidance for retail stock rotation and best-by dates as an indication of expected freshness. The article also describes use-by and freeze-by dates as safety-related dates under the legislation it discusses. Because rules and label meanings can depend on the applicable law and product, readers should not assume every label has an identical meaning.
The policy backdrop is a push to make date labels less confusing. Good Housekeeping reports that California became the first state to ban sell-by dates on most food packaging, with the stated aim of reducing food waste. Other states have introduced bills or similar initiatives, the report says. It does not give the effective date or detailed requirements of California’s law.
““It’s most important to use common sense and check for signs of spoilage.””
— Stefani Sassos, Good Housekeeping nutrition director
Safety Depends on Storage
A date alone cannot establish whether a particular item is safe, and the source does not set out exact discard dates for every food. Safety can depend on the type of product, whether the package has been opened, storage temperature and handling. The report’s sensory checks are not a substitute for product-specific safety instructions, particularly for perishable foods.
It also remains unclear from the supplied material how California’s labeling restrictions are being implemented or what changes other states may adopt. The cited waste figures are estimates, and the article does not provide the underlying study’s full methodology or a direct measure of how much food consumers could save.
Check Labels and Storage Guidance
For a specific item, consumers should read its label and any storage instructions, consider whether it has been stored correctly, and inspect both the package and food for spoilage. Do not use infant formula past its date, and discard cans that are bulging, rusty or dented, as the experts quoted in the report advise. When a product’s safety is uncertain, consult relevant official food-safety guidance rather than relying on taste alone.
State date-labeling proposals may lead to further policy changes, but the source does not identify a scheduled decision or timeline. The immediate practical point is to distinguish freshness guidance from a safety warning while treating storage and the condition of the food as central to the decision.
Key Questions
Does a best-by date mean food is unsafe after that day?
Not necessarily. The experts quoted by Good Housekeeping describe best-by dates as a guide to freshness and quality. Safety still depends on the product, packaging and storage.
What does a sell-by date mean?
According to food safety and policy expert Darin Detwiler, a sell-by date is for retail stock rotation. It is not presented in the report as a general consumer safety deadline.
Which foods may be usable after a best-by date?
Shelf-stable foods such as dry grains, canned goods, bottled items and jerky are typically safe beyond the date if the packaging is intact and there are no signs of spoilage. Quality may decline, and the report does not give exact safe-use periods.
When should I throw food away?
Discard food with signs such as mold, unusual odors, discoloration or abnormal texture, and do not use cans that are dented, rusty or bulging. The source also says not to ignore the date on infant formula.
Can food lose nutritional value after its date?
It can. Sassos says nutritional value may decline depending on the food and how it is stored; exposure to air and light can affect some foods. The report does not give a universal rate of nutrient loss.
Source: goodhousekeeping.com
