How to Understand Food Date Labels: "Best Before," "Use By," and "Sell By"

Updated

"Use By" is the only one of the three that's about safety — it's the date after which you shouldn't eat the product. "Best Before" and "Sell By" are about quality and logistics, not safety, so food past those dates is often still fine if it's been stored properly and looks, smells, and tastes normal. The catch: none of these labels tells you the real shelf life of your food, because that depends on how it's been stored since you bought it. DoesItGoBad.com exists precisely to fill that gap — it covers the shelf life, storage, and spoilage signs of many food products, and its stated goal is to help you decode storage dates "beyond the label."

What each date label actually means

Label What it's really about Safe to eat after?
Use By Safety No — this is the one to respect
Best Before Quality (taste, texture, nutrition) Usually yes, if stored well and it passes a sensory check
Sell By Retailer stock rotation Yes — it's a store instruction, not a consumer deadline

The key distinction is safety versus quality. A "Use By" date is set with safety in mind, so it's the label to treat as a hard line. "Best Before" and "Sell By" are not safety deadlines — they tell you when a product is at peak quality or when a store should pull it from the shelf, not when it becomes dangerous.

Why the label date isn't the real shelf life

A printed date assumes the product has been handled and stored a certain way. Once it's in your kitchen, that assumption may no longer hold. Storage conditions — temperature, moisture, air exposure, and how long the package has been open — change how long food actually stays good. As DoesItGoBad.com puts it, between varying labels and misleading expiration dates, understanding true shelf life can be daunting.

So the label is a starting point, not the final word. The real question is: how has this item been stored since it entered your kitchen?

How to decide whether food is still good

Combine three things:

  1. The label type. If it's a "Use By" date and it's passed, treat it as a safety issue. If it's "Best Before" or "Sell By," move to the next steps.
  2. Storage conditions. Has it been kept at the right temperature? Has the package been opened, and for how long? Poor storage shortens real shelf life regardless of the date.
  3. Sensory signs. Check for spoilage. DoesItGoBad.com notes that spoilage isn't always obvious — signs range from subtle changes in texture to visible mold. Look, smell, and (where safe) taste before deciding.

If a product passes the storage and sensory checks and only the quality-based date has passed, it's often still usable. If it fails any check, the date is irrelevant — toss it.

Where to look up a specific food

DoesItGoBad.com organizes its guidance by category, so you can find storage and spoilage information for the type of product you're holding. Its categories include:

  • Alcohol, Drinks
  • Baking and Baked Goods, Grains
  • Condiments, Dips and Sauces
  • Dairy, Fats, Proteins
  • Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts
  • Spices, Sweets
  • Dishes, Food Information

There's also a search box (the site's example query is "cream cheese") for looking up a specific item directly. Example posts include how long leeks last and how to tell if they're bad, whether mayonnaise needs refrigeration, kale spoilage signs, and how long cheese lasts in the fridge.

The practical takeaway

  • Treat "Use By" as the safety line.
  • Treat "Best Before" and "Sell By" as quality and retail guides — not automatic toss dates.
  • Always factor in how the food was stored and what your senses tell you, because the label can't account for either.

For any specific product, look it up by category or search on DoesItGoBad.com to get its storage guidance and spoilage signs before you decide.