Confusion about food labels leads to waste, possible illnesses (CBS News)
- "Sell by date" is most important for retailers, telling them when they should take a product off the shelves. However, it does not mean that the food is no longer safe to eat.
- "Expiration date" means a product should not be eaten after the date listed; throw it out.
- "Best if used by date" refers to the quality of the product, not its safety. In short, it means that the product will maintain its maximum quality until that date, but it can still be safe to eat for a certain amount of time (depending on the kind of product) after the date has passed.