What do these date labels actually mean?
Confused by the dates on food packaging? You’re not alone! Date labels don’t always mean what we think. Let’s learn to trust our senses to judge whether food is still good to eat. Here’s a brief overview.
Follow Your Senses
Manufacturers have historically applied a variety of date labels — "expires on," "best before," "sell by," "enjoy by," "good thru" — to indicate when a product will be at its peak quality and flavor. These labels are voluntary and vary by state, which adds to the confusion.
As of July 1, 2026, all food manufactured for sale in California that bears a date label must use only the terms "Best By/Best if Used By" and "Use By" as defined below.
Best If Used By / Best By
These labels refer to a product's estimated quality, not food safety. The food may still be perfectly safe and nutritious after this date — it just may not be at its absolute peak freshness or flavor.
Use By
This label is related to food safety and is reserved for highly perishable foods. Food should generally not be consumed after this date. For infant formula, the "Use By" date ensures the product meets its nutritional claims and must be followed.
Sell By
AB 660 prohibits manufacturers from adding this public-facing "Sell By" label on food products. This label was historically meant for a store's internal inventory management, but often caused great confusion to customers.
Freeze By
This label indicates when a product should be frozen to maintain peak quality. This phrase may be combined with other labels such as "Use or Freeze By" and "Best if Frozen By". Freezing food before this date extends its usable life significantly.
Additional Resources:
- Understanding Food Date Label Postcard - Our brief overview of how to understand the various date labels on food packaging. Available in English and Spanish.
- Donation Guidance from the Alameda County Community Food Bank - These resources from our local food bank provide guidance on a wide range of food items, including suggestions and estimations for how long past the date code the food will still be good to eat. Detailed guidance is also available specifically around canned food safety.
- FoodKeeper App - Developed by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, with Cornell University and the Food Marketing Institute, the FoodKeeper helps you understand food and beverages storage. It will help you maximize the freshness and quality of items. By doing so you will be able to keep items fresh longer than if they were not stored properly.
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - According to the USDA, foods are still safe for consumption after these expiration dates pass, but make sure to look out for an off odor, flavor, or texture that mean the food has spoiled and should not be eaten.
- FoodSafety.gov - An official website of the United States government, providing news, alerts, and tips on safely handling and storing food to prevent food poisoning.
- Food Shift: Moving Beyond Expiration Dates - Read our blog post about how to look beyond date labels from Chef Partner, Food Shift.
- Expiration Dates Blog Post - Watch along as one of the 18 Reasons chef educators talks through how she navigates date labels.
- Deciphering Food Date Labels - Download StopWaste's new Topic Brief about date labels.
- AB 660 (Irwin) - A breakdown of California's new law requiring uniform date labels from Californians Against Waste.