Most food in the U.S. is not stamped with a true safety deadline. Yet millions of shoppers still read common labels as hard stop dates.
Food scientists, consumer researchers, and federal agencies have spent years warning that Americans often have the meaning of expiration dates backwards. In most cases, the date on a package is about peak quality, not the moment a food becomes unsafe to eat.
Why the label usually does not mean what shoppers think
The basic problem is simple: most date labels are not federally standardized across all foods. Terms like “Best if Used By,” “Use By,” “Sell By,” and “Freeze By” can appear to mean the same thing to shoppers, even though they serve different purposes. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a “Best if Used By/Before” date generally refers to flavor or texture, not food safety, except in one major category, infant formula.
That distinction is widely misunderstood. Research published over the years by consumer groups, academics, and industry-backed initiatives has found many Americans regularly discard food once the printed date passes, even when the product still looks, smells, and tastes normal. Food safety specialists say that reflex is often backwards because spoilage is not determined by the label alone, and some risky foods can become unsafe before any date if they are mishandled.
Dana Gunders, a longtime food waste expert and president of ReFED, has repeatedly said date label confusion is one of the most persistent drivers of unnecessary food waste in U.S. homes. USDA guidance makes a similar point, saying manufacturers use date labels voluntarily on most foods to communicate quality. In other words, the date often tells shoppers when a product may be at its best, not when it suddenly becomes dangerous at 12:01 a.m.
The exception that federal officials emphasize is infant formula. The Food and Drug Administration requires a “Use By” date on infant formula because the nutrient content must be guaranteed through that date. Outside of formula, shoppers are usually dealing with quality guidance, store inventory language, or freezer advice, not a universal safety deadline.
What food scientists say people should check instead
Food scientists say safety depends much more on time and temperature than on the wording printed on a box. Perishable foods such as meat, poultry, cut fruit, milk, and prepared leftovers can become unsafe if they spend too long in the “danger zone” between 40°F and 140°F. That is why experts consistently tell consumers to focus on refrigeration, storage time after opening, and safe handling, rather than relying on a package date as a shield.
For refrigerated leftovers, the USDA’s FoodKeeper guidance generally recommends using them within 3 to 4 days. Ground meat and fresh poultry are often best cooked or frozen within 1 to 2 days of purchase, while steaks, chops, and roasts may last a bit longer in the refrigerator. Those timelines can matter more than any printed label because once a product is opened or removed from controlled retail storage, the original date no longer tells the full story.
Scientists also caution that smell is not a perfect test for safety. Dangerous bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes can grow in refrigerated foods without making them smell bad. At the same time, some foods that are no longer at peak quality may still be safe. The point, experts say, is not to eat food blindly, but to understand that quality loss and safety risk are separate questions.
Packaging can add to the confusion. A “Sell By” date is largely intended for stores managing stock rotation. A “Freeze By” date signals when quality may be best preserved by freezing. A “Use By” date, on most foods other than formula, is typically the manufacturer’s estimate of best quality. Food scientists say once consumers understand those terms, they are less likely to throw away good food and more likely to notice the real red flags, such as bulging cans, mold, slimy texture, or prolonged temperature abuse.
Why the misunderstanding matters to family budgets and waste
The confusion is not just a labeling issue. It has a measurable economic effect in American kitchens. USDA has long estimated that food waste accounts for a large share of the U.S. food supply, and date label confusion is frequently cited as one contributor. ReFED has estimated that the average U.S. household loses hundreds of dollars a year on wasted food, with misunderstanding date labels among the everyday habits behind that loss.
That waste adds up fast because the products most commonly tossed are often the expensive ones: dairy, deli items, bagged produce, eggs, and packaged meats. A carton of yogurt a day past its “best by” date may still be perfectly usable, but many shoppers will toss it without opening it. Food policy experts say the habit is especially common among people trying to be cautious, meaning the waste is often driven by concern for family health, not carelessness.
The environmental costs are also significant. When edible food is discarded, the water, labor, fertilizer, fuel, and packaging used to produce and transport it are wasted too. Food that ends up in landfills can generate methane, a potent greenhouse gas. That is one reason researchers and anti-waste groups have pushed for simpler date language that better separates quality guidance from safety warnings.
Some companies and trade groups have moved toward using clearer phrases, especially “Best if Used By” for quality and “Use By” for products where safety messaging may matter more. But because there is still no single mandatory national system for most foods, the same confusion continues in supermarket aisles. Scientists say that leaves households to bridge the gap with better storage habits, more confidence in common label terms, and less panic when a date passes.
The practical rule experts want Americans to remember
The main takeaway from food scientists is straightforward: a printed date is often a freshness estimate, not a countdown to danger. For most foods, a label should be one piece of information, not the only one. How the food was stored, whether the package is damaged, how long it has been open, and whether there are visible signs of spoilage all matter just as much, and often more.
Experts recommend a few simple habits that align with federal guidance. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. Refrigerate perishables within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. Label leftovers with the day they were stored, and freeze foods you will not use in time instead of waiting for the package date to force a decision.
They also suggest learning one key mental shift. If the label says “Best if Used By,” think quality. If the food is highly perishable, think storage time and temperature first. If it is infant formula, treat the date seriously as a true use deadline. That framework, experts say, is much closer to how the science actually works than the common belief that every package date marks the instant a food turns unsafe.
For consumers facing high grocery prices, that message may be landing at the right time. The labels on food packages still matter, but not in the way many shoppers assume. The myth, scientists say, is that dates are always about safety. The reality is more practical and more useful: in most cases, the real question is not “Has the date passed?” but “Was this food stored safely, and does it still show signs of good quality?”
