Sell-by, use-by and best-by dates: What about eat by?

If your home is anything like mine, there’s always a debate about food expiration dates. When I grew up, my mom kept things around for a long time. Sometimes there would be dust on the cans and when found in the back of the cupboard it was like discovering lost treasure.

But for me, I refuse to eat anything on or after the date printed on its package. This, of course, leads to arguments at meal times with my wife. “The milk is fine, it’s good for a week past the date,” she’d say. But a mouthful of clabbered milk makes one quite hesitant.

At other times, “canned food is good for years past the date if unopened.” Well, I finally decided to stop arguing and look into the controversy, which turns out to be no controversy at all. There are different date designations, and they mean specifics things. Let’s take a look.

When fresh foods expire

It is important always to eat fresh whole foods in their prime. This means as close to their original form as possible and as close to their harvest or package date as possible. Sometime this is not possible and consuming foods that have deteriorated can cause health hazard, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and food-borne bacterial illnesses.

There are different ways to determine if food is good to eat or not.

For meats and cold cuts, smell is your way. When ham, chicken or beef starts to smell perfumey, it’s time to ditch it and make another selection.

Fruit and vegetables are best judged by their appearance and feel. When they start to look black, or feel slimy, it’s time to move them into the compost bin.

For beverages, milk will begin to smell rancid, and then curdle, when past its date. Wine begins to turn into vinegar. Fruit juice separates and jellies can grow mold on them.

But aside from these telltale signs, what about canned and packaged food? And once something is open, for how long is it good?

Different food dates

The confusion for packaged food expiration comes with the different meanings between the “sell by” and the “use by” dates. For me, no matter what the date type, I always threw out the food on the date printed on its package. Why? Because I once ate something as a kid that, although within its date, had been opened, which shortens its good date — and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. But after consulting the USDA guidelines, I feel much more at ease with how this all works.

According to the USDA, the “sell by” date is used for shop keepers to know how long to display a food item on its shelves. But this in no means indicates that the product is spoiled on that date.

The “used by” dates don’t refer to spoilage of food at all; but rather their best taste and quality. So with an example of canned vegetables or soups, the “used by” date refers to freshness of taste, but not a true “expiration” date, wherein the food has spoiled. When your canned goods reach their “used by” date, it really is up to you if you want to eat it or not.

But then there is also a “best used by” date, and this means that the manufacturer recommends you consume the food “before” that date. Again, though, this is not an expiration date, but a freshness and quality one. Seems redundant.

Are expiration dates required?

The only product that is really required by law to be dated with a true “expiration” date is infant formula. For everything else, we must hedge our bets with the “use by” and “best used by” and “sell by” dates. For the most part these are easy enough to follow and heed. Many foods, even packaged products, do require refrigeration, despite the dates printed on them.

Canned time capsules

The good thing about canned foods is that the canning process is like a time capsule, allowing the food to travel through time, even years, without spoilage. That is, as long as the cans are not dented, swollen, opened, or exposed to temperatures above 90°F or below 32°F. Canned fruits and veg are often good for 12-18 months past their dates, while canned meats and fish hold their freshness for a good handful of years.

Best if kept in fridge or freezer

Many foods must be refrigerated, especially fresh foods, cheeses, and most things once you open them. And their “sell by” or “use by” dates are voided once the packages are opened, or left unrefrigerated on the counter.

But if you open something or place fresh food in the fridge, it could still remain good and healthy past its “sell by” date. That is, if it is handled properly and kept cold at or below 40-degrees F. But if the “use by” date should be heeded when dealing with fresh meats, vegetables and especially dairy.

Many foods, if left in their packaging, are still good to eat several months after their “dates” if they are properly refrigerated or frozen. These methods suspend them in time, so to speak.

The egg-ception

The exceptions here are fresh eggs. Do not eat them past their “sell by” or “expiration” date (some states require and expiration date on eggs cartons). If no expiration date is present on the carton, and if it is a USDA graded egg (noticed by the logo on the carton), you can keep the eggs around for a good 45 days past the “pack date” (which would also be on the carton).

More help…

I know, it’s a lot to keep straight. Here is some advice the USDA offers.

“If product has a “use-by” date, follow that date. If a product has a “sell-by” date or no date, cook or freeze the product by the times on the following chart.” The following charts will also help, and are found in the USDA PDF on this topic, with loads more information.