\u00a9 2021 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Answer 1 of 4: I arrived yesterday in Beijing, and I saw that on food packages, there is a date which seems to be the production date. It is still safe to eat after the date, but the flavor of the food probably won’t be as good. For reference, I used the date January 14, 2023 in each case): Remember, these dates are chosen by the manufacturers, not by the FDA or USDA. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. How to Read the Expiration Dates on Canned Food. These types of dates that come with a label are “open dates”, meaning that the food or manufacturing company chose that date and it’s meant for the consumer or for the stockers at the store. The Consumer Goods Forum Board, which includes representatives from the world's biggest food and retail companies, believes that one of the major reasons for all that wasted food (and money!) Here’s the first thing you should know: Expiration dates are not expiration dates. Plus, you’ll know where to direct questions about his food and more. Tip: With eggs, it’s safe to assume that if you’re within 30 days of the 3-digit code, the eggs are still safe to consume. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. [1] X Research source Many beauty products don’t come with expiration dates, but some do. The use-by date has more to do with the item’s quality rather than its safety. Keep in mind that most products have a 30-month shelf life. Many beauty products don’t come with expiration dates, but some do. Certain brands use a year-month-day sequence, where December 15, 2018, would be written as “181215”. Use-by dates indicate the date up to which a product is of good quality. There are also “closed codes,” but those are meant for manufacturers, rather than consumers. Most food products today come with a "best by" date. It’s hard to tell if medicine is no longer potent. If it's so stale that you're offended, toss it. If the jar or can spurts liquid out when you open it, that’s a typical sign that the food is bad. This is part of the reason it can be so tricky to read these dates and understand how long your items will actually be good for. An example would be a code that reads “D1617,” which stands for April 16, 2017. This means the food will be at peak quality by the date listed. After the expiration date, the food may not have the same nutrient content declared on the label. The numbers are stamped on and can sometimes be hard to read or find depending on where they were placed. Pay attention to odd smells or changed consistencies in food items and beauty products. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not require quality or food safety date labels for products under its purview. Frozen food (if the cold chain wasn’t broken) and Dried food (if it didn’t get wet) it pretty safe to eat past its expiration date since microbiological contamination it’s very unlikely. How To Read Food Expiration Dates [Open Dated] Unfortunately, there is no standardized formatting for how they are displayed. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. But relying on date labels to determine whether a food is “still good” is where things can get confusing. % of people told us that this article helped them. We've been helping billions of people around the world continue to learn, adapt, grow, and thrive for over a decade. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Here are some common food expiration date terms and what they mean: BEST IF USED BY. It's best not to use the product past this listed date in those cases as it signifies when the food most likely will spoil. Learn more... Lots of food items, beauty products, and medications are thrown away every year because of misunderstood expiration dates. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. If a food item smells bad or if you can see mold or discoloration, throw it out. Is there a better way to tell if food is still good? Sell By is the date that is a guideline for grocers.