Check Those Food Labels

Use by, sell by, best by. What does it all really mean? Is this food still OK to eat? That question is one of life’s little mysteries and here’s how to solve it. Find out about food safety – how long food is good for and when you should toss it.

The packages that your food comes in contain a lot of information, including helpful hints on when to throw uneaten food away. According to the Institute of Food Technologists,

• After its sell by date, you can still eat a food for some time, but it’s no longer as fresh as it had been.
• Similarly, a food’s “best if used by” date doesn’t refer to its safety. This simply tells you when its quality or flavor may be fading.
• However, after its use by date, a food may lose nutritional value or even become harmful. Avoid eating a food after this date.