Food companies tend to print an expiration date that is far sooner than the actual expiration date. Usually, it’s a just a guideline for grocery stores so they know the last day to leave the item on the shelf.

1. Food Expiration Codes
2. Decoding Food Expiration Codes
3. Product Expiration Date Code Decoder

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Newswise — Health-conscious consumers are paying closer attention to the numbers and dates stamped on the bottom of their favorite cereals, canned goods, packaged snacks and even fresh produce. But what do all these numbers really mean?

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS Most U.S. food companies stamp lot codes and/or expiration dates on their products. There are two types of codes:

Lot Code: When manufacturers produce a product, they do so in batches. Each batch is assigned a unique series of numbers that makes it possible for manufacturers to track exactly when a problem occurred and which products need to be recalled.

Expiration Dates: These are numbers represented in a date format that are used to provide a guideline for consumers so they will know when a food product is either no longer safe to eat or might not taste as good as it did when originally produced.

SHELF-LIFE LINGO There is little government regulation when it comes to expiration dates stamped on packages. Therefore, don't treat expiration dates or lot codes with a 'one-size fits all' approach.

Food Expiration Codes

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service, there are a few different types of dates you should look for:

Decoding Food Expiration Codes

Sell By: is a guide for stores to know how long they can display a product before its quality begins to diminish. An item will be edible for some time after the 'sell by' date, but it is no longer the highest possible level of quality.

Best if Used By/Best Before: is a guide to the quality or flavor profile of the food and does not refer to safety. For example, sour cream may grow increasingly sour over time, but it remains safe to consume even when past the point of peak freshness.

Use By: is the closest to an expiration date similar to that on medicines. Using them after the date is not recommended. In some instances, medicines may be ineffective past their 'use by' date and food may lose nutrients, develop potentially harmful bacteria and lessen in quality.

FOOD PRODUCT TLC When you're shopping for food, be sure to examine the packaging for dents, tears or broken seals. No matter what the date on the outside of the package says, there are ways you can care for products to help maintain their shelf life. Temperature, humidity and light can all affect the quality of a product, especially when it comes to meat, dairy and other highly perishable products.

Freezer Facts: The temp in your freezer should always be 0°F Freezing food is a great way to prolong the life of leftovers or store food to be used at a later date. However, it must be noted that while freezing can preserve food safety and it can also sometimes affect the way the food tastes after defrosting. For optimal quality, frozen beef needs to be consumed within three months, while pork keeps in the freezer for six months and lamb, veal, poultry and venison hold between 8-12 months.

Storage Safety: When buying perishable food, such as meat, poultry, dairy products and certain types of fruit and vegetables, bring the food home promptly after purchase and refrigerate it accordingly. If you aren't able to use it in a timely fashion, store it in the freezer to avoid spoilage. If you're not able to refrigerate or freeze perishables immediately, be sure they are stored at a temperature of 40°F or below by using insulated bags, ice or keep a cooler in the back of your car for transporting perishable groceries.

Note: Please attribute content used to the Institute of Food Technologists. ________________________________________About IFTThe Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is a nonprofit scientific society. Our individual members are professionals engaged in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government. IFT’s mission is to advance the science of food, and our long-range vision is to ensure a safe and abundant food supply, contributing to healthier people everywhere.

For more than 70 years, the IFT has been unlocking the potential of the food science community by creating a dynamic global forum where members from more than 100 countries can share, learn, and grow. We champion the use of sound science across the food value chain through the exchange of knowledge, by providing education, and by furthering the advancement of the profession. IFT has offices in Chicago, Illinois and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit ift.org.

© 2011 Institute of Food Technologists

The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) publishes the Food Code, a model that assists food control jurisdictions at all levels of government by providing them with a scientifically sound technical and legal basis for regulating the retail and food service segment of the industry (restaurants and grocery stores and institutions such as nursing homes). Local, state, tribal, and federal regulators use the FDA Food Code as a model to develop or update their own food safety rules and to be consistent with national food regulatory policy.

Between 1993 and 2001, the Food Code was issued in its current format, every two years. With the support of the Conference for Food Protection (CFP), FDA decided to move to a four-year interval between complete Food Code editions. During the interim period between full editions, FDA may publish a Food Code Supplement that updates, modifies, or clarifies certain provisions. The 2005 Food Code was the first full edition published on the new four-year interval, and it was followed by the Supplement to the 2005 Food Code, which was published in 2007. The 2017 Food Code is the most recent full edition published by FDA.

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