Archive · 9 Aug 2026
Experts Say 'Best Before' Labels Are About Quality, Not Safety
Many people throw food away just because the date on the packet has passed.
But food experts say that date usually does not mean the food is unsafe.
It mostly tells you when food will taste its best.
Very dry foods like crackers and cookies can last a long time and are safe even if they get a little stale.
Canned food can also last for years after the date on the can.
The only food that must have a real expiration date is baby formula.
There are more than 50 different date labels in America, which confuses people.
California made a new law to use just two labels — one for taste quality and one for safety.
New York is also working on a similar rule.
By understanding labels better, we can throw away less food.
Food date labels such as 'Best Before' and 'Best By' indicate peak quality, not food safety, according to experts.
More than 50 different date labels are used across the United States, varying by state and manufacturer.
California became the first US state to standardize food labels, banning 'Sell By' dates in a law effective July 1.
The new California law requires 'Best If Used By' labels for quality and 'Use By' labels for safety.
Infant formula is the only food product federally required to carry an expiration date.
- Who
- Consumers and food safety experts, including Donald Schaffner of Rutgers University and food scientist Rachel Zemser, along with state lawmakers in California and New York.
- What
- Clarification that food date labels reflect quality rather than safety, including California's new standardized food labeling law.
- When
- California's law went into effect July 1; the article's publication date is not specified.
- Where
- United States, chiefly California and New York.
- Why
- To reduce food waste caused by consumers throwing away safe food because of confusing date labels.
- Number of date labels in US
- More than 50
- Consumers discarding food approaching date
- More than 80%, per 2019 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study
- California law effective
- July 1
- California quality label
- "Best If Used By"
- California safety label
- "Use By"
- Banned label
- "Sell By"
- Only federally regulated expiration date
- Infant formula
- New York status
- Similar measure passed, awaiting Governor Kathy Hochul's signature