How to Read Food "Best If Used by" Stamps

Not many regulations exist regarding expiration dates on food. Other than baby food and formula, which require a specific use-by date, a manufacturer can label a product with dates denoting how long it will keep the same level of quality or by when it should be sold instead of when it will expire. Each label has a set definition, though, so you can still get an idea of what to do with the food when that date arrives. This idea can be vague at times, especially if you find a "best if used by" date. This date indicates only how long the food will be at its highest quality; it does not give an indication of when the food will go bad.

Instructions

1. Look for the month and year, and possibly day, next to a "best if used by" or "for best quality use by" label. This will usually be on one of the ends of cans or around the cap or neck on bottles. The information may be in different formats, but you should be able to find the number of the month, if not the name, and at least the last two numbers of the year. The more cans you look at, the more formats you'll see, such as all numbers -- 2/13 or 4/7/2012 -- or words and numbers, like "January 2013" or NOV14.

2. Match up the letter with a month if you see a combination of one letter followed by one or two numbers, next to a "best if used by" label, and no other markings on the container. The Virginia Cooperative Extension says the letters correspond to months; for example, F2 would stand for June 2002.

3. Verify the stamp is really "best if used by" and not "use by." The first is just a note regarding how long the product will retain maximum quality, but the second is an actual expiration date that you should pay attention to. If the label really says "use by," stop using the product after that date, especially if the product is baby food or formula. The University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension notes baby food and formula are the only food products that are required by the United States government to provide an expiration date.

References

• University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County: Decoding Food Product Dates; Alice Henneman; January 2005
• Colorado State University Cooperative Extension: Commercially Canned Food: FAQs; Summer 2001
• Virginia Cooperative Extension: Food Storage Guidelines for Consumers; Renee Boyer, et al.; May 2009