Nearly all prepared and prepackaged foods have them. Expiration dates have long been printed on packaging, but what do they actually mean? And is it really a big deal to eat something a few days past its date?
According to Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic, expiration dates are not always the best way to determine whether food is still safe to eat.
Checking a food’s color, smell and texture are better indicators, she said. Mold is another clear sign a product is no longer safe.
Perishable foods such as meat, dairy and produce pose the biggest risk.
RELATED STORY | Here's how to check if your at-home COVID test is about to expire
“Any place where you have an environment where bacteria can grow, that leads to the most probable chance you could become ill after having that product,” Kirkpatrick said. “Typically, when bacteria has grown, we will see it or smell it. But that is why some of those perishable items are the most important things to keep an eye out for.”
So what exactly do expiration dates tell consumers?
“They’re actually more about quality than they are about food safety,” she said. “The sell-by date is typically a guide for grocery manufacturers — when can I sell this by? The best-by date is really an assessment of quality. A cracker might taste great now, but maybe in four weeks it won’t taste as good.”
RELATED STORY | Artificial food dyes on the chopping block: A health win or pricey change?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that only infant formula is required to carry an expiration date. Other products may voluntarily use the following labels:
- Best if Used By/Before: Indicates when a product will be at its best flavor or quality. Not a safety date.
- Sell-By: Tells the store how long to display the product for inventory purposes. Not a safety date.
- Use-By: Last recommended date for peak quality. Only a safety date when used on infant formula.
- Freeze-By: Indicates when a product should be frozen to maintain peak quality. Not a safety date.
