You may have seen a best-before date, or “BBD,” on some food products, and expiration or EXP dates on others. There’s a huge difference when it comes to them, and you should treat them both differently. Every place has slightly different guidelines, but this article references both the government of Canada’s guidelines and the FDA guidelines when it comes to the differences.

What is an expiration date?

An expiration date is a label for products that can go bad, lose quality, or lose effectiveness once the date has passed. They can also be called “use-by” dates. This date is not a reminder; it is more often a warning for your safety. It should be treated as such. Think of something like dairy products or meat, they will go bad eventually, even if they are left in the fridge. If left in the fridge for a while, they can develop harmful bacteria and go rancid. According to the FDA, food can still be safe if stored properly if it has an expiration date until signs of spoilage begin to show.

Some signs of spoilage would be:

Bad odor
Off texture
Bad flavor

If it has gone off, throw it out.

An expiration date isn’t just extra text from the manufacturer; ignoring it could endanger your health and safety. They’re typically in larger print on a visible spot where you can see it immediately. For example, on a jug of milk, it would be printed near the lid or near the spout. According to the FDA, these are known as “open dates”, which means the product will go off before 90 days has passed.

Expiry date label on a bottle — cred: Adobe Stock

What is a best-before date?

Best-before date, or BBD, is a date that you may find on your canned or dried goods. Best-before dates serve more as a reminder rather than as a hard warning. As it says, after a product reaches its BBD, that product will begin to degrade over time. The flavors might weaken, or the texture might suffer. However, it doesn’t mean that the product is inedible; it’s still safe to eat, as long as the packaging hasn’t been damaged. A jar of peanut butter will still be a jar of peanut butter as long as the protective seal hasn’t been damaged.

Sometimes items that are past their best-before date are put on sale. These are known as “short-dated” products, as they are not unusable; they are just not as potent as they would be if they were before their best-before date. Calling the manufacturer is always the best idea if you’re unsure about your product’s efficacy. For example, Chefmaster LiquaGel Food Coloring can still be used over two years past their BBD, and some anecdotal claims say you can use it after even longer, depending on the product. Use discretion still; just because it’s safe to consume doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check on the product’s integrity. If the product has an off flavor, smell, or texture, get rid of it.

If you’re still confused, the video below summarizes the difference between expiration date vs. best-before date.