Recipes

/

Home & Leisure

Environmental Nutrition: Understanding dates

Jessica Bunch, BS, Environmental Nutrition on

Q: What’s the difference between expiration dates and “best by” or “sell by” dates?

A: The terms expiration date, “best by,” and “sell by” are often confused, but they do have different meanings and purposes.

Expiration: This is the last date the manufacturer recommends using the product for safety reasons.

Best By/Best Before: This date refers to quality, not safety.

 

Sell by: This tells retailers when the product should be sold or removed from shelves.

(Environmental Nutrition is the award-winning independent newsletter written by nutrition experts dedicated to providing readers up-to-date, accurate information about health and nutrition in clear, concise English. For more information, visit www.environmentalnutrition.com.)

©2025 Belvoir Media Group, LLC. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


 

Comments

blog comments powered by Disqus

 

Related Channels

America's Test Kitchen

America's Test Kitchen

By America's Test Kitchen
ArcaMax Chef

ArcaMax Chef

By ArcaMax Chef
Zola Gorgon

Recipes by Zola

By Zola Gorgon

Comics

A.F. Branco Diamond Lil Clay Bennett Dustin Chip Bok Jeff Danziger