ShelfLife
Best before, use by, sell by: what food dates mean
Some dates on food are about safety and some are only about quality. Knowing which is which is the simplest way to stop throwing away good food, without taking risks.
Updated November 4, 2026
The short answer
- Use by is the date to take seriously. In the UK, the EU and many other countries, it's a safety date: don't eat the food after it, even if it looks and smells fine. It's used on perishable foods like meat, fish and fresh dairy.
- Best before (or "best if used by") is about quality. After it, the food may be less tasty or crisp, but it's usually still safe if it was stored correctly and the package is intact.
- Sell by is for the shop, not for you. It tells the store how long to display the product. You can still store and eat the food after it, within the usual storage times.
- Freeze by tells you when to freeze a product to keep its best quality.
Once food is opened, the printed date no longer applies. Follow the "once opened, use within" instructions on the pack, or the times on our food storage pages.
Date labels in the United States
In the US, date labels are mostly voluntary. Except for infant formula, federal law doesn't require them, and the USDA explains that they're generally about quality, not safety. Even a use by date on most US products is "the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality", according to the USDA; infant formula is the exception and must not be used after it.
Many manufacturers have moved to two phrases to reduce confusion: Best if used by for quality, and Use by for perishable products. Because the rules vary, the safest habit is to go by storage times for perishable foods. Raw chicken, for example, keeps 1 to 2 days in the fridge from purchase, whatever the label says.
Date labels in the UK and Europe
In the UK and the EU, the two labels have clear legal meanings:
| Label | What it means | Typical foods |
|---|---|---|
| Use by | Safety date: don't eat after it | Raw meat and fish, fresh dairy, ready meals, bagged salad, smoked fish |
| Best before | Quality date: usually fine after it if stored well | Pasta, rice, cereal, canned food, chocolate, crisps, frozen food |
Some foods, like salt, sugar, vinegar and most wines and spirits, don't need a date at all because they keep almost indefinitely.
How to read date codes
Not every date is written plainly:
- Packed on or produced on dates tell you when the food was made, not when it expires. Add the storage time for that food.
- Julian dates on some US cans and egg cartons count the days of the year: 001 is January 1 and 365 is December 31.
- Lot codes are letters and numbers used for recalls. They're not a date.
- Eggs in the EU carry a best-before date set 28 days after laying. US egg cartons often show a pack date and a sell-by date.
What to do with food past its date
- Past a use-by date: throw it out. The bacteria that cause food poisoning don't change how food looks or smells, so you can't check it by sniffing.
- Past a best-before date: look, smell and taste a little. If it's fine, use it, especially dry goods like pasta, flour, cereal and canned food.
- Frozen food past its date: food kept frozen at −18 °C (0 °F) stays safe; the date is about quality. Read what freezes well.
When in doubt, throw it out. Our guide on eating food after the best-before date goes through common foods one by one.
Sources
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Food product dating
- UK Food Standards Agency: Best before and use-by dates
Add food to ShelfLife with the date on the package, and get reminded before it matters.