Start with the phrase, not the calendar number
A date printed by itself does not tell you what decision it supports. USDA FSIS distinguishes open dating, which uses a calendar date for consumers or retailers, from closed coding, which manufacturers use to identify production information. A code stamped on a can may help trace a lot without being a consumer-facing discard date.
In the United States there is no single, universally accepted vocabulary for open dates. That is why two packages can use different wording for similar quality information. Record the full phrase in an inventory, such as 'Best if Used By' or 'Sell By,' rather than storing only 08/15. The phrase preserves the manufacturer's intended context.
- Best if Used By/Before: best flavor or quality
- Sell By: store display and inventory management
- Use By: manufacturer's peak-quality recommendation for most foods
- Freeze By: quality planning for when to freeze
Separate federal rules from common package practice
USDA FSIS states that, except for infant formula, product dating generally is not required by federal regulations and is not itself an indicator of safety. Voluntary dates on meat, poultry, and egg products under FSIS jurisdiction must be truthful and accompanied by wording that explains the date. State requirements can add another layer, particularly for eggs and some dairy products.
Infant formula needs its own rule. FDA requires a Use By date because the manufacturer must demonstrate that the formula retains the declared nutrient content and acceptable physical quality through that date. Do not buy or use infant formula after its Use By date. Avoid turning this important exception into a rule for every other package in the kitchen.
A quality date cannot repair an unknown storage history
A package can be before its printed date and still have been mishandled. Refrigerated foods should be kept at 40°F (4°C) or below, and perishable food should not remain at room temperature for more than two hours, or one hour when the air temperature is above 90°F (32°C), according to FDA consumer guidance. A date label cannot reveal a warm car ride, a power outage, a broken seal, or cross-contamination.
The reverse is also true: passing a quality date does not automatically prove that a properly handled product became unsafe at midnight. Use the date together with the product type, whether it is opened, package instructions, storage temperature, official product-specific guidance, recalls, and the needs of anyone at higher risk of foodborne illness.
Use a five-part package check
First, identify the exact product and date phrase. Second, check whether the package is opened, damaged, swollen, leaking, or otherwise compromised. Third, reconstruct storage history: where it was stored, whether it stayed cold, and when it was opened or prepared. Fourth, consult a product-specific source such as FoodKeeper or the federal cold-storage chart. Fifth, check current recall information when product identity matters.
Smell and appearance can reveal some spoilage, but they cannot detect every pathogen. FDA notes that food can cause illness even when it does not look, smell, or taste spoiled. Do not taste a questionable food to test it. When temperature history is unknown or official instructions say to discard it, the printed quality date should not override that evidence.
Record dates in a way that supports the next decision
A useful household record keeps four separate facts: product name, the exact printed phrase and date, opened or prepared date, and storage location. Add a freeze date if you move food to the freezer. This avoids treating a manufacturer's unopened-package date as if it described an opened container indefinitely.
Use reminders as prompts to inspect context, not automated declarations that food is safe or unsafe. A tracker can say 'review yogurt package and opened date today.' It should not say 'safe for three more days' unless the exact product, handling, and authoritative guidance support that statement.
Match the situation before choosing an action
Where simple rules break down
Is Use By always a safety date in the United States?
No. USDA describes it as a peak-quality recommendation for most foods. Infant formula is the major federal exception, and product-specific or state requirements may differ.
Can I decide by smelling the food?
Smell can identify some spoilage but cannot establish safety. Pathogens may be present without obvious odor, taste, or appearance changes.
Should an inventory calculate a discard date automatically?
It is safer to use reminders that preserve product type, package wording, opened date, and storage history, then link to current product-specific guidance.
Check the underlying guidance
We reviewed the sources below on August 5, 2026. The numbered badges are a page-level navigation index; they do not mean every listed source supports every sentence in the preceding section. Agency pages can change, so use the linked page for current wording and product-specific instructions.
Definitions, federal requirements, quality-date meaning, infant-formula exception, and package codes.
FDA context for quality dates, food waste, and FoodKeeper.
Temperature, time, spoilage, and safe-storage limits.
Editorial boundary: This guide organizes published U.S. consumer guidance. It cannot observe your food, verify its temperature history, diagnose illness, or replace instructions for a specific product or emergency.
See outdated guidance or a factual error? Use our correction process.