Expiry dates: Expiry dates on food packaging really matter? Should you still eat after expiration limit? May be yes

How often do you check the dates in your meal when you open your refrigerator? The yogurt container says it is a few days better, but the label in the semi -used barbecue sauce is the best before the last Sunday. Should you still eat? The answer is complex. The dates in food packaging usually indicate when food is best, not when it is insecure to eat. In the United States, there are about 50 history labels, including “” by “,” sales by “and” packaging “, which shows that quality or freshness has begun.

Although food wastes are important to pay attention to printed dates for some foods according to the non -profit organization, 3 billion pounds of food is discarded every year due to the confusion on the history label. The baby formula is the only product with standard, federal -edited history labels, as NYT News Service has reported, and leaves many questions about when to disappear other aging.

Here’s what you need to know.

A confusing test series

From the beginning of the 1900s to the mid -1900s, American households began to switch to processed and packaged goods from locally grown foods, and some manufacturers began to put their products on their products to alleviate fresh concerns. However, up to the 1960s and 70s, these labels were not widespread as well as efforts to develop nutritional labeling and transparency.

Today, individual food companies still determine which date is going on their products. However, Londa Nwadike, a Food Science Professor at South Dakota State University, uses its own methodology.
For example, some companies can use mathematical models to predict when freshness drops, while others can perform special tests stored at warmer temperatures, high humidity or increased oxygen levels. Nevertheless, others can expose one product to viruses such as mold, Maya or E. coli or salmonella. Some companies cannot afford to perform comprehensive tests and can based their dates on the dates of competitors.
The result is too much inconsistency: almost two same products packaged on the same day can have significant different sales dates.
A mixed term and network of laws
This confusion combines with how the labels shaped by most state policies are expressed. Each one has its own requirements ranging from food products, so labels may be different or not only in certain states.

Consider the dairy products, for example. Montana requires a maximum sales date 12 days after pasteurization, while Pennsylvania allows up to 17 days and exempt ultra pasteurized milk. Virginia requires sales dates in all dairy products, while New York’s dairy products do not require any history label. (You can call your state’s arrangements about Refed’s online policy finder at Policyfinder.refed.org.)

There are similar differences in state arrangements for eggs, shellfish, goods sold in farmer markets and other amazing products. For example, Texas requires labeling with the date it is prepared in home kitchens.

Natural Resources Defense Council Food Waste Director Yette Cabrera, the impact of these changing policies “confusion and chaos”. “It creates these really complex distribution systems, packaging systems, production systems, which make food manufacturers really difficult to comply with.”

It also creates waste. Many states prohibit sales or donations of past history products, and according to the 2025 survey, many consumers-43%of them are particularly close to their history.

Harvard Law Faculty Food Law and Policy Clinic Director Emily Broad Leib and the columnist in the survey Emily Broad Leib, “More people are confused about the words such as’ using more than ever.” Safety or quality? “

Less scam, more confusion

Experts, sales dates to buy more to buy more, not a cheat, a chaotic system is the product, he said. And for most foods, after history, food is not a health problem.

Some said you should pay attention to the “usage” and “duration of time” tags, especially on they may deteriorate. “Best of all,” usually refers to quality, and “selling” is usually that retailers know when to return the inventory.

Frozen foods usually remain well for a year, even if they are dissolved and reconstructed; Unopened condiments, oils and canned goods usually last for several years; The cooled egg is good for three to five weeks; And the cooled dairy products usually last one to three weeks after opening. Kansas State University offers useful cabinet and freezing storage guidelines for various foods such as Foodkeeker application of the US Department of Agriculture.

Experts, the most important history labels meat and seafood, pasteurized cheese and milk, baby food and foods are prepared on food, he said.

Meredith Carothhers, a Food Safety Specialist in the Food Safety and Inspection Service of USDA, said home refrigerators will not guarantee that raw meat history will last at home because it is not as cold as in the markets.

“After coming home, it is better to use in about one to two days for poultry animals or for raw red meats within four to five days,” he said, beef, pork, beef and lamb. Authority, home refrigerators should be kept below 40 degrees, he added.

As of July, California will simplify the history labels up to two standard options: “Best for safety for” quality and “use”. Congress is thinking of similar federal legislation.

FAQ

Quarter. How many labels are there in the USA?
A1. In the United States, there are about 50 history labels, including “” by “,” sales by “and” packaging “, which shows that quality or freshness has begun.

S2. Will there be new labels in the United States?
A2. As of July, California will simplify the history labels up to two standard options: “Best for safety for” quality and “use”. Congress is thinking of similar federal legislation.