Reducing food waste is critical.
Now with shortages to consider, its more important than ever to ask, what is an expiration date?
Whats the difference between that and a sell-by date?
Simply Recipes / Andy Christensen
What about best-by dates?
A healthy understanding of the necessity (or frivolity!)
Why do we have expiration dates, sell-by dates, use-by dates, and best-by dates?
Simply Recipes / Lori Rice
So then why bother?
Theyre also helpful for supermarkets and grocery stores, to regulate, circulate, and merchandise their product assortment.
This maximizes the shelf life of the display with less waste for the store.
What are expiration dates?
This is because its nutritional profile is developed with extreme precision, and those nutrients may deteriorate over time.
Simply Recipes / Lori Rice
What are best-by and use-by dates?
The full phrase for this goes Best if used by, making the two parts somewhat interchangeable.
Its also the most transparent, honest label out there.
Essentially, it wont be bad or inedible.
it just wont be at its best.
You might also see Use or freeze by on perishable items, such as meat.
What are sell-by dates?
Of all the categories, sell-by dates are most useful on the retail side.
Additionally, it allows the store to know when its time to reorder their stock.
Sell-by labels are the preferred term for most dairy, greens, and cold cuts.
However, you could absolutely consume those items well beyond these dates.
After all, they dont expect you to consume your food the day its sold!
A week is usually the cap for lunch meat, but you have considerably longer for vacuum-sealed cold cuts.
What about the other dates that may be printed on the food label?
In an extreme example, its what also helps them (and you!)
Another set of dates you might find are pack dates.
As mentioned before, this may be on several types of non-perishables.
Its their disclosure that quality, flavor, texture, and potency may deteriorate over time.
Is expired food safe to eat?
Can I get sick from eating expired food?
A placebo effect can be just as sickening as an actual bad egg, as the term goes!
When in doubt, throw it out.
In summation, the most important thing is that your food is handled properly.
), and use your best judgment.
Printed dates may be written in ink and not pencil, but theyre certainly not written in stone.
