Confusion about expiration labels is the reason more then 80% of Americans discard perfectly good food that they fear may make them sick. In general food is safe to consume if signs of spoilage – such as unpleasant odor , flavor or textures aren’t present. Exceptions : informant formula, which should be consumed by the “use by” date and sometimes meat.

Best if Used By/Before: This date indicates when a product will have the best flavor or best quality, but it does mean the food will be unsafe to consume past that date.

Sell By: This is for inventory management, so it tells the store how long to display the product for sale , but it doesn’t relate to food safety.

Freeze By: To maintain peak quality. Freeze by this date but once the food is frozen, you can enjoy it for weeks or months to come.