Americans throw away an enormous amount of food, and confusing date labels are one reason. A yogurt one day past its “best by” date or a box of crackers months past it often ends up in the trash, even though it is perfectly safe. Understanding the labels can save money and reduce waste, as long as you also know which foods really do need to be watched closely.

Most dates are about quality, not safety

Except for infant formula, federal law doesn’t require food manufacturers to put dates on their products. When dates appear, they are usually chosen by the manufacturer to show when the food will be at its best quality, not when it becomes unsafe. That’s why the U.S. Department of Agriculture encourages companies to use the phrase “Best if Used By.”

What each label means

  • “Best if Used By” or “Best By”: the date after which flavor or texture may decline. The food is generally still safe if it has been stored properly.
  • “Sell By”: a date for the store, to help with stock rotation. You can usually eat the food after this date.
  • “Use By”: the last date recommended for best quality. It is not a safety date, except on infant formula, where it should be followed strictly.
  • “Freeze By”: a reminder to freeze the product before that date to keep its quality.

Food can become unsafe before its date if it is stored poorly, such as left out on a counter, and spoiled food often shows signs like an off smell, sliminess or mold. But dangerous bacteria don’t always change how food looks or smells, which is why storage times and temperatures matter more than the printed date.

Keep your fridge and freezer cold

  • Refrigerator: 40°F or below.
  • Freezer: 0°F or below.

An inexpensive appliance thermometer tells you whether yours is cold enough. Many refrigerators run warmer than their dials suggest, especially in the door.

How long common foods last in the refrigerator

These guidelines, based on federal food safety charts, assume the refrigerator is at 40°F or below:

  • Raw chicken, turkey and ground meat: 1 to 2 days.
  • Raw steaks, chops and roasts: 3 to 5 days.
  • Cooked leftovers: 3 to 4 days.
  • Opened lunch meat: 3 to 5 days.
  • Raw eggs in the shell: 3 to 5 weeks.
  • Hot dogs, unopened: about 2 weeks; opened: about 1 week.

If you can’t use something in time, freeze it. Food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe indefinitely, although quality slowly declines over months.

Pantry foods

Shelf-stable foods such as canned goods, dry pasta, rice, cereal and crackers often stay safe well past their “best by” date if the packaging is intact. They may become stale or lose flavor over time. Throw away cans that are bulging, leaking, badly dented along the seams or rusted.

The two-hour rule

Perishable food shouldn’t sit at room temperature for more than two hours, or one hour if it is very hot, such as at a summer picnic. That rule matters more than any date on a package, especially for holiday leftovers. See our Thanksgiving turkey safety guide for more.

Reducing waste at home

  • Put newer groceries behind older ones, so older items get used first.
  • Plan a “use it up” meal each week from what’s already in the fridge.
  • Freeze bread, cooked grains, meat and leftovers you won’t finish in time.
  • Label containers of leftovers with the date you cooked them.

What we think

Most food that gets thrown out because of a date was still safe, and learning what the labels mean is one of the easiest ways to lower your grocery bill.

The exception is perishable food. For raw meat, leftovers and anything that has sat out, storage times and temperatures matter far more than the printed date. When in doubt about those, throw it out; for crackers and canned goods, trust your senses before the label.