Have you ever thrown away a perfectly good carton of milk, a can of vegetables, or a box of pasta simply because the date printed on the package had passed? You're not alone. Many people treat every food label like a countdown to danger, even when the date is primarily about freshness and quality.Try Artisan Pasta
The truth is that food date labels can be confusing. Some help grocery stores manage inventory, others indicate when a product is expected to taste its best, and a few require much stricter attention. Understanding the difference can help you reduce food waste, save money, and make smarter decisions about what belongs in your pantry or refrigerator.
In this guide, we'll look at 20 common food labels, grocery products, and storage habits that people frequently misunderstand. You'll learn what the dates generally mean, how storage affects food quality, which warning signs to watch for, and how to organize your kitchen so fewer groceries end up in the trash.
1. Best By Dates: They're Usually About Quality
The phrase “Best By” is one of the most misunderstood labels on food packaging.Try New Foods
In the United States, a Best By date generally indicates when a manufacturer expects a product to have its best flavor, texture, or quality. For most foods, it isn't a universal safety deadline.
A box of crackers might become less crisp after the date, while unopened pasta may remain suitable for much longer when stored properly. However, the date alone cannot tell you whether a particular food is safe to eat.
What to do: Check how the food was stored, whether the package is intact, and whether there are signs of spoilage. Never rely on the printed date alone to judge safety.
2. Sell By Dates: They're Often Intended for Retailers
A “Sell By” date is generally intended to help grocery stores manage inventory and rotate products. It isn't necessarily a date by which consumers must eat the food.Try New Foods
For example, a store may remove a product from its shelves to maintain freshness standards even though the product could still have some useful storage life.
That doesn't mean every item remains safe after its Sell By date. Perishable foods still need proper refrigeration, and products such as fresh meat, seafood, and dairy can become unsafe if they've been mishandled.
What to do: Follow the product's storage instructions and any applicable safety guidance. Don't assume a Sell By date automatically means food is spoiled—or that it guarantees safety until that date.Explore Food Tech
3. Use By Dates: Pay Attention to the Context
“Use By” can mean different things depending on the product, manufacturer, and country.
For many packaged foods in the United States, a Use By date is a manufacturer's recommendation for peak quality. Infant formula is an important exception: its use-by date should be followed because the product's nutrient quality and physical characteristics may change.
Other countries use date labels differently, and some products have specific safety requirements.
What to do: Read the label and follow any product-specific instructions. For highly perishable foods, use appropriate food-safety guidance rather than assuming a date is merely about taste.
4. Expiration Dates: Not Every Food Uses Them the Same Way
People often use “expiration date” as a catch-all term for every date printed on a package. But there isn't one universal rule that applies to all foods and all countries.
Some dates refer to quality, while others are tied to specific product requirements. Infant formula, for example, should not be used beyond its labeled use-by date.Try New Foods
If a package has a clear safety instruction, follow it. If the wording is unfamiliar, check the manufacturer's guidance or your local food-safety authority.
Remember: A food's appearance and smell cannot reliably reveal every harmful microorganism. Never use a taste test to decide whether a questionable food is safe.
5. Canned Vegetables: The Package Matters
Unopened canned vegetables can often retain good quality well beyond a printed Best By date when stored in a cool, dry place. Their quality may gradually decline, but the date alone doesn't automatically make a can unsafe.
However, damaged packaging can change the picture.
Never use a can that is:
Bulging at either end
Leaking
Deeply dented, particularly along a seam
Badly rusted or otherwise compromised
If a can spurts liquid, releases unusual foam, or contains food that looks suspicious when opened, don't taste it. Discard it safely.
Storage tip: Keep cans away from damp areas and extreme temperatures. Once opened, transfer leftovers to a clean covered container, refrigerate promptly, and use them within an appropriate period.Order Takeout
6. Dry Pasta: Often Longer-Lasting Than You Think
Unopened dried pasta is a classic pantry staple. When stored in a cool, dry place and protected from pests and moisture, it can often remain usable beyond its Best By date.
Over time, quality may decline, especially if the packaging is damaged or the pasta absorbs moisture.
Fresh pasta is different. Because it contains more moisture and may require refrigeration, it has a shorter storage life and needs more careful handling.Explore Food Tech
What to do: Keep dried pasta sealed and dry. Discard it if you notice insects, moisture damage, mold, or other signs of contamination.
7. Rice: Dry Storage Is Essential
White rice can keep for a long time when stored properly, while brown rice generally has a shorter shelf life because it contains more natural oils that can turn rancid.
Neither type should be stored where moisture, insects, or heat can damage it.
Cooked rice requires much more caution. Bacteria such as Bacillus cereus can produce toxins under certain conditions, and reheating may not destroy those toxins.
The important rule: Refrigerate cooked rice promptly, ideally within two hours—or within one hour when the surrounding temperature exceeds 90°F (32°C). Keep it cold and use it within three to four days, or freeze it for longer storage.Find Recipes
Don't leave cooked rice sitting on the counter all afternoon and assume reheating will make it safe.
8. Flour: Check for Moisture, Pests, and Rancid Smells
White flour may retain good quality for a considerable time when stored correctly. Whole-wheat flour generally has a shorter shelf life because its natural oils can become rancid.
A printed date can help you track freshness, but storage conditions matter just as much.
Check flour for:
Insects or webbing
Damp clumps
Mold
Unusual or rancid odors
Store flour in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Refrigeration or freezing can help extend the quality of whole-grain flours, provided they're protected from moisture and odors.
9. Bread: Mold Means It's Time to Throw It Away
Bread often becomes stale before it becomes moldy. Staleness is mainly a quality issue, but visible mold is a different matter.Order Fresh Bakes
Bread is porous, so mold can spread below the surface even when you see only a small patch.
Don't simply cut off the moldy section and eat the rest. Discard the entire loaf if mold appears.
To make bread last longer, keep it properly wrapped and freeze portions you won't use soon. Refrigeration can slow mold growth but may make bread go stale faster.
10. Milk: The Date Isn't the Only Factor
Milk can sometimes remain good for a short period after a quality date when it has been consistently refrigerated, but that isn't guaranteed.
Milk that has been left warm, stored in a refrigerator that's too warm, or exposed to contamination may become unsafe before the date printed on the carton.Get Fresh Dairy
For best storage, keep the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below and return milk to the refrigerator promptly after pouring.
Signs of spoilage can include a sour smell, curdling, or an unusual texture. However, the absence of these signs doesn't guarantee safety.
Don't taste milk to test it. If it has been mishandled or you're unsure how long it has been warm, discard it.
11. Eggs: Refrigeration and Handling Make a Difference
Egg storage recommendations vary by country because processing practices differ.
In the United States, commercially washed eggs should be refrigerated. Keep them in their original carton and store them in the main body of the refrigerator rather than the door, where temperatures fluctuate more.Try New Foods
A float test may indicate that an egg is older because the air cell grows over time, but it doesn't reliably determine whether the egg is safe.
Discard cracked or contaminated eggs, and cook eggs thoroughly. For dishes containing eggs, follow appropriate food-safety temperatures and handling instructions.
12. Yogurt: Keep It Cold and Check the Package
Yogurt often has a quality date, and unopened yogurt may retain good quality beyond it when properly refrigerated. But that depends on the product, storage conditions, and whether the container remains sealed.Find Recipes
Discard yogurt with visible mold, unusual discoloration, a swollen container, or other signs of spoilage.
A little liquid separating on top of yogurt can be normal whey, so separation alone doesn't necessarily mean it has gone bad.
Once opened, keep the container covered and use a clean spoon each time. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and discard it if you're uncertain about its storage history.
13. Cheese: Hard and Soft Varieties Are Different
Hard cheeses and soft cheeses don't behave the same way when mold appears.
For some firm cheeses, food-safety guidance allows you to cut away mold at least one inch around and below the affected area, avoiding contact between the knife and the mold. Soft cheeses, shredded cheese, and crumbled cheese should generally be discarded if mold develops because contamination can spread more easily.Cheese
Soft cheeses also require careful refrigeration and handling.
Store cheese wrapped appropriately, keep it refrigerated, and follow package instructions. Don't assume that every cheese can be saved by removing a visible patch of mold.
14. Frozen Foods: Freezing Preserves Quality, Not Every Mistake
Food kept continuously frozen at 0°F (-18°C) can remain safe for a very long time, although taste and texture may deteriorate.
Freezer burn can create dry, pale patches on food. It usually affects quality rather than making the food unsafe, provided the food was handled and frozen properly.Try New Foods
The bigger concern is food that has thawed and remained too warm.
Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator, in cold water with appropriate precautions, or in the microwave when you plan to cook them immediately. Don't thaw meat on the counter.
If food has been left at room temperature for too long, freezing it afterward doesn't undo the risk.
15. Leftovers: The Three-to-Four-Day Rule
Leftovers are a common source of food waste—and a common food-safety mistake.
Many cooked leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours and used within three to four days. In very hot conditions above 90°F (32°C), refrigerate them within one hour.Find Recipes
Divide large amounts into shallow containers so they cool more quickly. Label containers with the date they were prepared, and freeze portions you won't eat within the recommended period.
When reheating leftovers, heat them to 165°F (74°C) throughout.
If you can't remember when a leftover was prepared, don't gamble on it based on smell alone.
16. Opened Condiments: Don't Assume They Last Forever
Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, salad dressing, and other condiments vary in their storage requirements.Order Takeout
Some are shelf-stable before opening but need refrigeration afterward. Others may require refrigeration at all times.
Always check the package instructions, particularly after opening. Keep lids clean, avoid dipping used utensils into containers, and discard products showing mold, unusual swelling, or other signs of spoilage.
The date on a condiment doesn't override its storage requirements.
17. Cooking Oil: Rancidity Is a Quality Warning
Cooking oils can deteriorate when exposed to oxygen, heat, and light. Over time, some develop a stale, bitter, waxy, or paint-like smell.Try New Foods
A rancid oil may not always look different, so smell and storage history can be useful quality clues.
Keep oils tightly closed and away from direct sunlight and heat. Buy quantities you can reasonably use before their quality declines.
Some oils are more sensitive to oxidation than others, so follow the label's storage instructions rather than applying one rule to every bottle.
18. Spices: They Can Lose Flavor Without Becoming Dangerous
Dried spices often lose their aroma and intensity over time. That doesn't necessarily mean they have become unsafe on the date printed on the jar.Find Recipes
Ground spices generally lose their flavor faster than many whole spices because more of their surface area is exposed to air.
Keep spices sealed, dry, and away from the heat and steam rising from the stove. Replace them when their aroma has faded noticeably, or when moisture or contamination becomes a concern.
A spice cabinet doesn't need to be cleared out automatically every time a date passes.
19. Refrigerator Temperature: One Small Setting Can Make a Big Difference
Even foods with recent dates can become unsafe if the refrigerator isn't cold enough.
Set your refrigerator to 40°F (4°C) or below and use an appliance thermometer to check the actual temperature. Don't rely entirely on the dial setting.
Keep raw meat and seafood in sealed containers on a lower shelf so their juices can't drip onto ready-to-eat foods. Avoid overcrowding the refrigerator so cold air can circulate.
If the refrigerator loses power, food safety depends on how long it remains warm and the temperature it reaches. A refrigerator generally keeps food cold for about four hours if left unopened during a power outage, but use a thermometer and official guidance to decide what to keep.Try New Foods
20. The Sniff Test: Helpful, but Not Enough
Smell, appearance, and texture can help identify obvious spoilage. They're not reliable tests for every foodborne hazard.
Some harmful bacteria don't produce noticeable odors, flavors, or visible changes. That means a food can appear normal and still be unsafe.
Use the sniff test as one clue—not as your only safety check.
Consider the full picture:
Was the food refrigerated or frozen correctly?
Has the package been opened or damaged?
How long has it been stored?
Is there a specific use-by or handling instruction?
Has the food been exposed to unsafe temperatures?
When the storage history is uncertain, especially with perishable foods, the safer choice is to throw the food away.
How to Reduce Food Waste Without Taking Food-Safety Risks
You don't need to throw away every item the moment a quality date passes. You also shouldn't ignore safety instructions in the hope of saving money.
A few simple habits can help you strike the right balance.
Organize food by date
Move older products to the front and put newly purchased items behind them. This first-in, first-out approach helps you use food before its quality declines.Try New Foods
Label opened packages
Write the date you opened a product or prepared leftovers on the container. This is especially useful for cooked foods and items that need refrigeration.
Keep a freezer inventory
Freeze food before it spoils, label it clearly, and keep a simple list of what's inside. That way, you won't discover forgotten portions months later.
Buy realistic quantities
Buying a larger package may seem cheaper, but it isn't a bargain if much of it gets thrown away. Consider your meal plans, household size, and storage space.Order Takeout
Learn your local labeling rules
Date-labeling practices vary between countries. If you live outside the United States, check your local food-safety authority for the meanings of terms such as “Best Before,” “Use By,” and “Expiry Date.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Is food automatically unsafe after its Best By date?
No. For many packaged foods, Best By dates indicate expected quality rather than a universal safety cutoff. However, storage conditions, the type of food, and package integrity still matter.Find Recipes
Can I eat food that is past its Sell By date?
Sometimes, but the date alone cannot establish safety. Follow storage instructions and food-specific guidance, especially for meat, seafood, dairy, and other perishable items.
Does food smell bad when it's unsafe?
Not always. Some harmful microorganisms don't create noticeable odors, flavors, or visual changes. Never use smell or taste as the sole test of safety.
Should I throw away a can if its date has passed?
Not necessarily. An intact, properly stored can may remain usable beyond its quality date. However, discard cans that are bulging, leaking, deeply dented at seams, or badly rusted.
How long can leftovers stay in the refrigerator?
Many cooked leftovers should be used within three to four days when promptly refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below. Freeze them sooner if you won't eat them in that period.
Can freezing make spoiled food safe again?
No. Freezing doesn't reliably eliminate harmful microorganisms or toxins that may already be present. Freeze food while it's still safe and handle it correctly before freezing.
Are Best Before and Best By the same thing?
They often serve similar quality-related purposes, but exact meanings depend on the country, product, and applicable regulations. Check local guidance and follow any specific safety instructions.Order Takeout
What should I do if I can't remember how long food has been in the refrigerator?
For perishable foods, don't guess based on appearance or smell. If you can't establish that the food has been stored safely and remains within the recommended storage period, discard it.
Final Thoughts
Reading food labels correctly is about understanding what the date actually tells you—not treating every printed number as a reason to panic or ignoring every warning as unnecessary.Find Recipes
A Best By date often relates to quality. A Sell By date generally helps retailers manage inventory. Other labels and product-specific instructions may require closer attention, and safe storage remains essential throughout.
By keeping your refrigerator cold, storing pantry staples properly, labeling leftovers, and learning the differences between common date labels, you can reduce unnecessary food waste without taking unnecessary risks.
The goal isn't to save every item at all costs. It's to make informed decisions, waste less food when it's reasonable to do so, and protect your household when safety is uncertain.Try New Foods
Found this guide helpful? Share it with someone who regularly clears out the pantry, and leave a comment with the food label that has confused you most.
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Learn how to read Best By, Sell By, and Use By dates, store common groceries safely, reduce food waste, and recognize when food should be discarded.
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You're Reading Food Dates Wrong! 20 Grocery Labels and Storage Rules Explained