Very often, our grocery store products come with various expiration dates and numbers. There are so many that it can be difficult to tell which ones reveal the safety information we want. This article on what expiration dates really mean will hopefully help clear up some of the mystery.
The “Sell-By” date is actually for the retailer’s benefit, not necessarily for the consumer. It tells the grocery store how long it should display the product. The product will not necessarily become spoiled by the time it reaches that date. In fact, it very likely won’t spoil at that time. It’s not even mandatory that stores pull items off shelves once they reach their “Sell-By” dates.
The “Use-By” date is possibly the most helpful on this list of what expiration dates really mean. It tells the consumer the last date the food producer recommends for the product’s consumption. You could eat the food after this date, but it will not taste as good, and it could be unsafe. The manufacturer determines this date.
The “Guaranteed Fresh” date applies to bakeries. It tells you what day a baked good will lose its peak freshness.
The “Best if used by (or before)” date, otherwise known as the “Best-By” date, denotes food quality. But unlike the “Use-By” date, it doesn’t represent safety. It signals that if you eat the food after the date, it won’t taste as good as it would have if you ate it before. However, it’s still safe and might taste good enough. For example, sour cream might start to sour before it becomes a safety hazard. If the “Best-By” date is correct, it should tell you the day when it begins to sour.
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