Many foods include labels such as “Best if Used By,” “Sell By,” and “Use By.” These dates are often misunderstood as food safety deadlines, but in most cases, they are meant to indicate quality, freshness, and peak flavor.

• Best if Used By/Before: best quality and taste
• Sell By: helps stores manage inventory
• Use By: last recommended date for peak quality

For most foods, these dates do not automatically mean the item is unsafe after that day. Proper storage, handling, and checking for spoilage signs are just as important.

Before throwing food away, check for:

• unusual odors
• mold
• changes in texture
• damaged packaging

One important exception is baby formula, which should never be used after the printed date because essential nutrients decline over time.

Learning how to read food date labels can help households reduce waste, save money, and make groceries last longer.