What Do Food Expiration Dates Really Mean?

As consumers get more and more health conscious, it is not uncommon to see shoppers in grocery aisles, scrutinizing a product's ingredients for sugar, fat, sodium and calories.

But even before checking out the ingredients, it's important to find a product's expiration date. It may tell you all you need to know about whether to purchase or consume a product.

Just about every item a grocery store sells is marked with some sort of date, although they are not required by federal law (except for on infant formula and baby food). State laws vary, but most states require that milk and other perishable goods be sold before their expiration date.

But even though the expiration dates generally are just advisory, they still are an important guide to freshness.

There is no uniform system used for food dating, but here are four main types of label information:

• "Sell by" date. This tells the store how long to hold the food for sale. Don't buy the product after this date. Food sold on the "sell by " date can still be eaten later. For example, milk generally is safe and wholesome 7 to 10 days after the date on the label. This is a "sell by" date for the grocery store, not a "use by" date for the consumer.
• "Freshness" date or "quality assurance" date. This date suggests how long the manufacturer thinks the food will remain at peak quality. The label might read "Best if used by November, 2005." The product still may be used after this date, although it may no longer meet the company's standard for freshness.
• "Pack" date or "package" date. This is the date the food was packaged or processed. With this information, consumers can decide which package is fresher. Fresh meat is labeled with a pack date. Do not buy ground beef packaged three days ago when a package is available that was packed today.
• "Expiration" date. This is the last date the product should be eaten. It might read, "Do not use after March, 2005." Always discard food that has passed the expiration date.

Except for "use-by" dates, product dates don't always refer to home storage or use after purchase. Even if the date expires during home storage, perishable food should be safe and wholesome if stored and handled properly.

Regardless of the date on any product, always be on the lookout for signs of spoilage when using packaged foods. Never by packages that are opened and also avoid dented or bulging cans.

If a food smells funny to you or has something growing on it that you think shouldn't be there, throw it out immediately. Never taste food that may be spoiled.

If you have questions about the freshness of a product, most major food companies print an 800 phone number on the label to call.