Food Safety : Sell by, Use By Dates

Grocery Stores use sell by dates, use by dates, and expiration dates as a guideline to help you determine the freshness of perishable products.

But what does all that mean? How can you be sure that a product is fresh, safe, and ready to eat? To help you understand the difference among these dates, here's a quick explanation of their meaning.

Sell by date

Indicates how long a vendor can display a product on the shelf. To ensure you get the freshest product available, I recommend that you buy perishable items on or before the sell-by date. Normally a few days before this date grocery stores will make the product down so that it will sell before it has to be discarded.

Use by date

Indicates the last date recommended for use of the product while it's still at peak quality. The product's quality and freshness is guaranteed only up to that date.

Expiration date

Indicates the last date that the product can be sold. Remember, even if a product date expires during home storage, a product should be safe and of good quality as long as the safe handling and storage instructions printed on the label are followed.