What to know about expiration dates
Most expiration dates are not safety deadlines. There is a big difference between a 'Best Before' and a 'Use By' date. Understanding the difference can save home-cooks quite a bit of money.
Key points
- 'Best before' means quality, not safety. Most food is still fine for some time after this date
- 'Use by' is the one date that genuinely matters for food safety
- Dry goods like pasta, rice, and lentils can last years beyond their printed date
- How food looks, smells, and tastes is often a reliable way to assess its freshness
There are two kinds of dates that may be printed on food packaging, and they don't have the same meaning.
Best before indicates until when the manufacturer believes the product will be at its best. It is not a safety cutoff date. Food past its best-before date may be slightly less crisp, less vibrant in colour, or somewhat less flavourful, but it is not unsafe to eat. Throwing it out is a choice, not a requirement.
Use by is a safety cutoff date. It must be followed to make sure food does not become unsafe to consume. It appears on perishable items like raw meat, fish, and some dairy products. Eating these foods after this date carries a real risk of foodborne illness.
Dry goods such as pasta, rice, lentils, dried beans, oats, flour, and canned goods all have best-before dates, but their actual shelf life is far longer. Properly stored dried lentils are safe and nutritious two or three years past the printed date.
- Properly stored dried beans, lentils, and white rice are safe and nutritious two or three years past the printed date. Brown rice should be stored in the freezer to extend its shelf life, because it contains oils that will spoil fairly shortly after the best-before date.
- Canned goods in tins can last a decade or more if the seal is intact.
- Condiments, dressings, and sauces in bottles and jars last a few months past their best-before date if they are unopened.
