Pause Before You Throw Out Food: Learn Label Lingo
By: Sid Kirchheimer Source: Date Posted:
Would you throw out a potential dinner because you noticed at the last minute that its “use-by” date had expired? That could be wise—or it could be a waste of munchies and money. Except for poultry, infant formula, and certain baby foods, product dating is not mandated by Uncle Sam. (Twenty of the 50 states, by contrast, do require date stamping on some food packaging.) Here’s a guide to what food labels really mean:
"Expiration" dates are the essential ones to watch. They indicate the last day on which the product can be consumed without jeopardizing your health. Eggs are the exception; they usually can be safely eaten three to five weeks after the expiration date.
"Use by," "Best if used by," and "Quality-assurance" dates indicate freshness, not safety. They signal the last date on which the product is likely to retain its peak flavor and quality. “Guaranteed freshness” usually refers to baked goods; they can be safely eaten after that date, but they may taste stale.
"Sell by" or "Pull" indicates the date on which the retailer should remove the item from sale. You should buy it before this date, but you don’t have to use it by then. Milk can be consumed up to one week after its sell-by date.
"Pack" or "Package" dates denote when the food was processed. Like “Use by” dates, they too signify freshness, not safety.
"Born on" may be a cutesy marketing ploy of Anheuser-Busch, yet the taste of any beer does begin to decline roughly 110 days after the “born on” date.
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