TL;DR
Get coffee and tea gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Food-safety experts interviewed by Good Housekeeping say a best-by date generally indicates when food may lose quality, rather than proving it is unsafe after that date. They advise checking packaging and spoilage signs, while treating infant formula and perishable foods with particular caution.
A Good Housekeeping report featuring food-safety and nutrition experts says a food’s best-by date is generally a quality guide, not an automatic safety cutoff, while sell-by dates are aimed at retailers. The distinction matters as date-label confusion contributes to avoidable food waste, but experts caution that labels do not replace safe storage or checks for spoilage.
Food-safety and policy expert Darin Detwiler describes a sell-by date as a tool for store inventory and stock rotation. A best-by date, he says, indicates when a product may begin to lose freshness; it does not, by itself, mean the food becomes unsafe on that day. The report distinguishes these from use-by or freeze-by dates, which it describes as safety-related dates under the legislation it discusses.
Some shelf-stable foods, including dry grains, bottled products and canned goods, may remain safe beyond a best-by date if their packaging is intact and they have been stored properly. Good Housekeeping Chief Food Director Kate Merker advises avoiding cans that are dented, rusty or bulging. Even when food remains safe, its taste and texture may deteriorate as time passes; frozen foods can also lose quality during long storage.
Good Housekeeping Nutrition Director Stefani Sassos recommends checking for mold, unusual odors, discoloration, off flavors or altered textures. Those checks are not a guarantee that every food is safe: handling and storage conditions matter, and the report does not provide a universal test that can replace food-safety guidance for specific products. Sassos singles out infant formula as a product for which consumers should not ignore the date, and says meat, poultry and dairy require close attention to dates and spoilage signs.
Date Labels and Household Food Waste
The distinction can affect both food safety decisions and household waste. The source report says nearly 120 billion pounds of food are wasted each year in the United States and cites nonprofit ReFED research estimating that confusion over package labels accounts for up to 7% of U.S. food waste. Those figures are presented in the report; they do not mean every item past its date is safe to eat.
Understanding what a label is meant to communicate may stop consumers from discarding some food solely because a best-by date has passed. At the same time, relying only on appearance or smell can be inappropriate where a product has specific safety requirements. The practical takeaway is to read the label, follow storage and handling guidance, and treat higher-risk or date-sensitive foods cautiously.
Products Worth Considering
Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer
KitchenAid 8-Cup Grain and Rice Cooker with Integrated Scale, Porcelain White
Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender, 64 oz. Container, Black
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
California’s Move on Sell-By Labels
The report says California became the first state to ban sell-by dates on most food packaging, with the stated aim of reducing food waste. It also notes that other states have introduced bills or policy initiatives to simplify date labels. The source does not give the law’s effective date or full details of which products are covered.
Detwiler’s explanation highlights why such labels can be misunderstood: a retail deadline may be read by shoppers as a deadline for consumption. The report’s core distinction is that sell-by dates guide retailers, while best-by dates generally relate to freshness and quality. Consumers should still use product-specific safety directions rather than treating all date labels as interchangeable.
““It’s most important to use common sense and check for signs of spoilage.””
— Stefani Sassos, Good Housekeeping nutrition director
Why a Date Cannot Decide Alone
The report does not establish that all food is safe after its best-by date, nor does it set a single time limit for eating particular products afterward. Safety depends on the food, packaging, handling and storage; the source does not provide detailed temperature limits or product-by-product storage timelines. It also does not explain the precise scope or implementation date of California’s policy.
Experts’ sensory checks can help identify obvious spoilage, but the article does not present them as a substitute for official guidance or product instructions. The report notes that nutritional value can decline over time, especially in produce and food exposed to air and light, but the amount varies with the food and storage conditions. How much quality or nutrition changes in any specific item remains case-dependent.
Check Labels, Storage and Condition
For consumers, the immediate step is to distinguish a retailer-facing sell-by date from a best-by quality date, then check the packaging and follow the product’s storage instructions. Discard damaged cans and avoid food with clear signs of spoilage; do not disregard dates on infant formula. For meat, poultry and dairy, apply extra care and consult reliable food-safety guidance when uncertain rather than relying on a sniff or taste alone.
The report points to continuing state-level efforts to simplify date labels, but it does not identify a next legislative milestone or say whether additional states will adopt similar policies. Any broader change will depend on the details of future laws and how labels are implemented.
Key Questions
Does a best-by date mean food is unsafe afterward?
Not necessarily. The report says best-by dates generally indicate when freshness may begin to decline, rather than marking an automatic safety cutoff. Food type, packaging and storage still matter.
What does a sell-by date mean?
According to expert Darin Detwiler, a sell-by date is for retailer stock rotation. It is not the same as a consumer safety date.
Can canned food be eaten past its best-by date?
The report says some shelf-stable canned foods may remain safe past that date when stored properly and when the can is intact. Do not use cans that are dented, rusty or bulging.
Which foods need extra caution?
Sassos says not to ignore the date on infant formula. The report also advises close attention to meat, poultry and dairy, including checking for unusual odors, discoloration or slimy texture.
How can I tell if food has spoiled?
Check for mold, off odors, unusual flavors or changes in texture, as well as damaged packaging. Sensory checks cannot replace product-specific safety instructions, especially for perishable foods.
Source: goodhousekeeping.com
