Food Date Labels Explained: Best By, Use By and Sell By for Your Emergency Pantry

Quick answer: according to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), federal rules do not require date labels on most foods, and the dates manufacturers print are generally about quality, not safety. “Best if Used By” means peak flavor or quality, “Sell-By” tells the store how long to display a product, “Use-By” is the last date recommended for peak quality, and “Freeze-By” tells you when to freeze for best quality. Infant formula is the exception: its use-by date matters and should be followed. Foods stored properly can often be eaten past their dates, unless they show signs of spoilage or the package is damaged.

If you keep an emergency pantry, you will eventually face a shelf of cans and boxes with dates that have passed. Do you toss them? Donate them? Eat them tonight? The answer depends on what the date means and how the food was stored, and the label itself rarely says.

This guide explains date labels using guidance from the USDA, how long common shelf-stable foods keep and the signs that mean food should go no matter what the label says. It is part of our emergency food storage guide.

Sources: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, “Food Product Dating,” “Shelf-Stable Food Safety,” “Leftovers and Food Safety” and the FoodKeeper app; U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidance on infant formula and on food date labeling; USDA and FDA joint request for information on food date labeling (December 2024); FoodSafety.gov, “Cold Food Storage Chart.” General food safety information. Checked October 2026.

Why Dates Are Confusing

FSIS explains that, except for infant formula, product dating is not required by federal regulations. Manufacturers choose whether to print a date, which wording to use and how to calculate it. Some states have their own rules for certain foods, such as milk or eggs, which adds to the patchwork.

The result is a mix of phrases that sound like safety warnings but usually are not. FSIS notes that because of this confusion, consumers throw away wholesome food. It cites an estimate that about 30 percent of the food supply is lost or wasted at the retail and consumer levels.

In December 2024, the USDA and the FDA jointly asked for public input on food date labeling and consumer confusion. For now, the guidance below reflects how labels currently work.

What Each Label Means

FSIS defines the common phrases this way:

Label	What it means	Is it a safety date?
Best if Used By / Before	When the product will be at its best flavor or quality	No
Sell-By	How long the store should display the product, for inventory management	No
Use-By	The last date recommended for using the product while at peak quality	No, except for infant formula
Freeze-By	When to freeze the product to maintain peak quality	No

FSIS has encouraged manufacturers to use “Best if Used By,” since research suggests consumers understand it as a quality indicator.

Codes on cans and boxes

Many canned and packaged foods carry a “closed” or “coded” date instead of a readable one. These are packing numbers the manufacturer uses to track products and handle recalls. FSIS notes they are not meant to tell consumers when to use the food. Keeping the original packaging, or a photo of the code, helps if a recall is announced.

Infant Formula Is the Exception

If you keep infant formula in your emergency supplies, treat its date differently. The FDA requires a use-by date on infant formula, and that date reflects both nutrient content and the quality of the product. Formula should not be bought or used after the use-by date.

Rotate formula carefully, store it in a cool, dry place and check dates whenever you restock. Households with babies should also keep enough safe water for mixing powdered formula; our guide to storing water in a small apartment covers quantities and containers.

How Long Shelf-Stable Foods Keep

FSIS’s “Shelf-Stable Food Safety” guidance gives these general timelines for commercially canned foods stored in a cool, dry place:

• High-acid canned foods, such as tomatoes, juices, fruit, pickles, sauerkraut and foods in vinegar-based sauces: 12 to 18 months for best quality.
• Low-acid canned foods, such as canned meat, poultry, fish, soups (except tomato), stews, beans, carrots, corn, peas, potatoes and spinach: 2 to 5 years for best quality.

Canned foods in good condition, FSIS states, remain safe indefinitely if the cans are not damaged and have been stored properly, though color, texture, flavor and nutrition may decline over time. Heat matters: cans stored above 100°F, near a stove or radiator, in a hot car or in a sunny window, lose quality faster.

Using the FoodKeeper app

The USDA’s free FoodKeeper app and website list storage times for hundreds of foods in the pantry, refrigerator and freezer. It is a quick way to check a specific item, such as dried beans or crackers, before deciding to keep or toss it.

When to Throw Food Away Regardless of the Date

A good date does not make damaged food safe, and a passed date does not make good food unsafe. FSIS advises discarding canned food if the can shows:

• Bulging, swelling or leaking
• Deep dents, especially along the top, side or bottom seams
• Rust that does not wipe off, or pitting
• Liquid that spurts when opened
• A foul odor or mold after opening
• Cracked jars or loose, bulging lids

Never taste food from a can that is bulging or spurting, FSIS warns. These can be signs of botulism, a rare but serious illness. Do not even open such cans; throw them away safely.

For boxed and bagged foods, look for:

• Signs of pests, such as holes, webbing or droppings
• Off smells, especially rancid smells in nuts, whole grains, crackers and cooking oils
• Moisture, clumping or mold
• Torn packaging that has been exposed to moisture or air

Refrigerated and Frozen Foods

Dates on refrigerated foods work the same way: mostly about quality. Storage temperature matters far more.

• Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F, according to FoodSafety.gov.
• Frozen foods kept at 0°F stay safe indefinitely, FSIS says, though quality declines over time.
• Eggs: FSIS recommends using raw eggs in the shell within 3 to 5 weeks of the day you bring them home, as long as they stay refrigerated.
• Leftovers: FSIS advises eating refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days or freezing them.

Power outages change everything. A refrigerator holds food safely for about 4 hours if the door stays closed, according to FSIS, and dates no longer tell you anything once food has been warm for too long. Our guide to food safety during a power outage has the full timelines.

Rotate Your Emergency Pantry

The simplest way to avoid date confusion is to eat what you store and replace it as you go.

1. Store what you actually eat. Food that fits your normal diet gets rotated naturally.
2. Use first in, first out. Put new purchases behind older ones.
3. Write the purchase month on each item with a marker. It is easier to read than a coded date.
4. Check the pantry twice a year. Many people pair this with changing smoke alarm batteries or the clocks.
5. Move older items into regular meals a few months before their best-by dates.
6. Keep a simple list of items and quantities so you know what to replace.

Our emergency pantry rotation and inventory system walks through a full setup for small spaces.

Store Food So Dates Matter Less

How you store food decides how long it stays good far more than the printed date does. In a small apartment, finding a cool, dry, dark spot takes some thought, but it pays off.

Good storage habits include:

• Keep supplies away from heat. Avoid the cabinet above the stove, the space next to the refrigerator’s exhaust, radiators, and sunny windows.
• Keep them dry. Moisture causes rust on cans and mold in dry goods. Under-sink cabinets are risky because of leaks.
• Keep them dark. Light speeds quality loss in oils, grains and some packaged foods.
• Use airtight containers for flour, rice, oats, pasta and similar dry goods once opened. Containers with tight lids also keep pests out.
• Store off the floor where possible, in case of minor flooding or a leaking appliance.
• Label containers with the contents and the date you filled them, since you lose the original package and its date.

Closets, the space under a bed and the back of a coat closet often stay cooler and more stable than the kitchen. Rotating smaller amounts more often also helps when space is tight.

Commercial Emergency Food and Long-Term Supplies

Freeze-dried meals, emergency ration bars and long-term storage buckets often advertise shelf lives measured in years or decades. Those figures come from the manufacturers, not from a federal standard, and they generally assume cool, stable storage conditions. Heat shortens shelf life significantly.

When you buy these products:

• Read the manufacturer’s storage conditions and note the stated shelf life on your inventory list.
• Check packages for punctures or swelling during your twice-yearly pantry review.
• Try a meal or two before you need them, so you know your household will eat them and you know how much water they require.

Keep in mind that many freeze-dried meals need hot water. During a power outage, food that requires no cooking is easier to use. Our list of no-cook emergency meals has ideas that rotate easily into everyday eating.

Water Dates

Water deserves its own note. Ready.gov advises keeping commercially bottled water in its original sealed container until you need it and observing any expiration or use-by date printed on it. If you store tap water in your own clean containers, Ready.gov recommends replacing it every six months. Mark the fill date on each container so you know when to swap it.

Common Date Label Myths

A few beliefs about food dates lead people to throw away good supplies or keep food that should go.

• Myth: the date is when food becomes unsafe. For almost every product except infant formula, FSIS describes the date as a quality guide. Storage and condition decide safety.
• Myth: if it is before the date, it must be fine. Food that was left warm, got wet, or sits in a damaged package can spoil well before its printed date.
• Myth: freezing resets the date. Freezing pauses spoilage, but quality still slowly declines, and food should be frozen while it is still in good condition.
• Myth: the smell test always works. Bacteria that cause foodborne illness, such as those behind botulism, may not change how food smells or looks. That is why damaged cans should be discarded unopened.
• Myth: sell-by means take it out of your pantry. A sell-by date is for store inventory. You can use the product after it, as long as you store it properly.

Treat the printed date as one clue among several, alongside storage conditions, packaging and the food itself.

Donating Past-Date Food

Many food banks accept shelf-stable food past its best-by date, since it is generally a quality date. Policies vary, so call ahead or check your local food bank’s website. Never donate damaged cans, opened packages or infant formula past its use-by date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to eat food after the best by date?

Usually, yes. FSIS says best-by dates indicate quality, not safety. If the food was stored properly and shows no signs of spoilage, it can generally be eaten.

What does sell by mean?

A sell-by date tells the store how long to display a product. It is not a safety date, and the food can be used after it.

How long do canned foods last?

FSIS says high-acid canned foods keep best quality for 12 to 18 months and low-acid canned foods for 2 to 5 years. Undamaged cans stored properly remain safe longer, though quality declines.

Which food dates must I follow strictly?

Infant formula. Its use-by date is required by the FDA and should not be passed.

When should I throw out a can?

Discard cans that bulge, leak, spurt, have deep dents along seams, are badly rusted or smell bad when opened. Never taste food from a suspect can.

The Bottom Line

Most food date labels describe quality, not safety. Follow infant formula dates strictly, judge everything else by storage conditions and the condition of the package and food, and throw out bulging, leaking or badly dented cans no matter what the date says. Rotate your emergency pantry so dates rarely become a question at all.