Have you ever looked at a yogurt cup in the fridge and thought, “Wait… is this still okay to eat?” Same. I used to get confused by all the different dates on food packaging — “Use by,” “Best before,” “Sell by” — like, what even is the difference?!
Use By Date
The “use by” date is the last day the food is considered safe to eat. After that? It could make you sick. You’ll usually see this on foods that go bad quickly like:
- Milk
- Deli meats
- Fresh salads
Best Before Date
The “best before” date means the food will taste the best before that day. After that, it might be a little stale, but it’s usually still safe to eat. You will see this on:
- Chips
- Cereal
- Canned soup
Sell by Date
The “sell by” date tells stores how long to keep the item on the shelves. You can usually eat it a few days after this date. You will see this on:
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Packaged meats