"Best By" Isn't an Expiration Date

Those dates cause a staggering amount of food to get tossed for no reason.

Millions of tons of perfectly good food get thrown out every year over misunderstood date labels.

Quality, not safety

"Best by," "best before," and "sell by" are mostly about peak quality — flavor and texture — not safety. They're the manufacturer's guess at when the product is freshest, and for most shelf-stable and many refrigerated foods, it's fine well past that date. (True "use by" dates on highly perishable items like fresh meat are the exception to respect.)

Use your senses

For a lot of food, your eyes and nose are better judges than a printed date. Off smell, mold, or a bulging can are real signals; a date that passed last week usually isn't.

The move

Don't auto-toss food the day a "best by" date passes. Check it, smell it, use judgment — and save the strict caution for "use by" dates on perishables. You'll waste less food and money.

Ask kiiwii

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