We’ve all probably been there: You pull out your milk from the fridge only to realize it’s two days past the expiration date. Upon further inspection, it looks and smells just fine, but instinct tells you it’s best to toss rather than risk getting sick. While expiration dates help us stay safe, it’s hard to not wonder if one or even three days past truly makes a difference.
The truth is that expiration dates largely depend on the type of food and its chemical composition, according to food scientist Bryan Quoc Le. In fact, some foods may start to spoil but are not necessarily unsafe to eat. “An example is bread, which can become hard and stale but is still good to eat if used in other forms,” he says. “However, some foods will breed pathogens that can be risky to consume.” This is especially true for animal-based products like dairy and meat.
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Food expiration terms to know
Deciphering what exactly every type of label or date really mean can be confusing, especially if you make it a priority to cut down on food waste and don’t want to toss something unless you truly have to. I spoke with Quoc Le to help me break down common terms.
Expiration date
An expiration date can be somewhat of a nebulous term and is often confused with a best-by date. In general, an expiration date is when a food is considered no longer safe to consume to avoid illness. This is especially true for foods that perish very quickly, such as milk and other dairy products, which typically change in texture and give off a rotten smell and taste when they’ve gone bad.
For other foods, like fruits, vegetables and bread, you’ll see mold start to form on the surface. Eggs can be a bit trickier to determine when they’ve expired, but you can keep them up to around three weeks past the expiration date if stored properly, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and experts I’ve talked to.
Sell-by date
This is the last day that it is OK for a grocery store to keep the item on shelves, as determined by the food manufacturer, according to Quoc Le. This especially applies to highly perishable items like milk, meat, and poultry, which spoil quickly when not stored properly. With that said, some foods are still safe to consume after the sell by date, according to Ann Ziata, a chef at the Institute of Culinary Education. “After the sell-by date, you’ll have some time to store it safely at home, usually a few days to a week, before it goes bad,” she says.
Best-by date
This label applies to how something tastes and its quality, rather than food safety, according to Ziata. “A best-by date is the date the manufacturer recommends you consume the product by for the best flavor and texture,” she says. “After this date, food may become stale and less appetizing.” This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat it, but that it may not be as flavorful as when it was at its peak or that it may be best to repurpose it. An example of this is using stale bread to make breadcrumbs or tearing it up to make stuffing.
Freeze-by date
Perhaps the most straightforward of all the labels, a freeze-by date is the date by which you should freeze a food item to avoid it deteriorating rapidly afterward, according to Quoc Le. This often applies to meat and poultry, which last only a few days to a week in the fridge but several months and up to a year in the freezer, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Freezing makes a huge difference in keeping food safe to consume because at 0 degrees Fahrenheit, microbes are inhibited from growing.
Food expiration date chart
I spoke with Quoc Le and Ziata to get a sense of how long the most common grocery items last. The chart below depicts the amount of time certain foods are safe to keep either in the fridge or freezer, according to experts, the USDA, FDA and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Dr. Bryan Quoc Le is a food scientist, food industry consultant and the author of “50 Food Science Questions Answered.”
- Ann Ziata is a chef and instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, NY.
Why trust NBC Select?
I’m a commerce editor at NBC Select, where I cover home and kitchen topics and write about kitchen appliances and food storage explainers. I spoke with a food scientist and chef for their guidance and included data and information from government agencies, including the USDA, FDA and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services for this story.
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