BBD stands for “Best Before Date.” It tells you when a food product will be at its peak quality, meaning its best flavor, texture, and freshness. A BBD is not a safety date. With very few exceptions, food doesn’t become dangerous the moment it passes this date, and understanding that distinction can save you from throwing away perfectly good groceries.
What a Best Before Date Actually Tells You
A Best Before Date is set by the manufacturer to indicate when a product will taste, look, and feel the way they intended. After that date, a box of crackers might be slightly less crispy, a can of soup might taste a bit different, or a spice blend might lose some potency. These are quality changes, not safety concerns.
The USDA and FDA are clear on this point: except for infant formula, dates printed on food labels are not indicators of safety and are not required by federal law. Manufacturers apply them voluntarily. When they do appear on meat, poultry, or egg products, federal rules require the label to include both the month and day, plus a phrase explaining what the date means, such as “Best if Used By.”
BBD vs. Other Date Labels
Grocery packaging uses several different date phrases, and they all mean slightly different things:
- Best if Used By / Best Before: Indicates peak quality. Not a safety or purchase date.
- Sell-By: Tells the store how long to display the product. This is an inventory management tool, not a safety date.
- Use-By: The last date recommended for consuming the product at peak quality. Still not a safety date, except on infant formula.
- Freeze-By: Suggests when to freeze a product to lock in its best quality.
Infant formula is the only product in the United States where the “Use-By” date is federally required and carries a true safety meaning. For everything else on your shelves, these dates are the manufacturer’s best guess at when quality starts to decline.
How Long Food Lasts Past the BBD
Many foods remain perfectly safe well beyond their printed date, especially when stored properly. The timeline varies by category.
Canned goods last for years past their Best Before Date, according to the USDA, as long as the can is in good condition with no rust, dents, or swelling. The food inside is sealed in a sterile environment, so while the flavor may shift over time, safety isn’t a concern.
Dry pantry staples like rice, pasta, and cereal can be used for up to two years past the date on the package. Flavored versions of rice and pasta, which contain oils and seasonings that degrade faster, are good for about six months past the printed date. Eggs stored in the refrigerator in their original carton maintain best quality for about three weeks, though they often remain safe somewhat longer.
Frozen food is a special case. Foods kept continuously frozen remain safe indefinitely because freezing halts bacterial growth. Quality does decline over time (freezer burn, texture changes), but the food won’t make you sick. The BBD on frozen items is purely about taste and texture.
When Food Is Actually Unsafe
Since the BBD doesn’t tell you about safety, your senses are a more reliable guide for most foods. The USDA identifies several signs of genuine spoilage: a change in color from the food’s normal fresh appearance, unusual texture (slimy, mushy, or sticky surfaces on meat, for example), an off-putting odor, or a taste that’s clearly wrong. Any of these signals mean the food should be discarded regardless of what the label says.
The date on the package and the actual condition of the food are two separate things. A yogurt three days past its BBD that looks, smells, and tastes normal is fine. A package of chicken two days before its BBD that smells sour is not. Trust the food itself over the printed number.
Why Date Label Confusion Matters
Misunderstanding these labels has a real cost. The USDA estimates that roughly 30 percent of the U.S. food supply is wasted at the retail and consumer level, and confusion over date labels is one of the main drivers. People see a Best Before Date, assume the food is expired, and toss it, even when it’s completely safe to eat.
There have been ongoing efforts to fix this. The Food Date Labeling Act, reintroduced in Congress in 2025, aims to standardize date labels nationwide so that consumers see consistent, easy-to-understand phrasing. Currently, the patchwork of terms across brands and product types makes it harder than it needs to be to tell what’s about quality and what’s about safety.
The simplest rule to remember: a BBD is about the manufacturer’s quality promise, not a deadline after which food becomes harmful. Storing food at the right temperature, keeping packaging intact, and checking for visible signs of spoilage will tell you far more about safety than the date stamped on the label.