Expiry Dates Decoded: Best-By vs Use-By vs Sell-By

One of the biggest sources of food waste is throwing things out the second a date passes. Most printed dates aren't safety dates at all — they're quality estimates from the manufacturer. Here's the cheat sheet.

Best-by

Peak quality, not safety. A yogurt past its best-by date is almost always fine for another week if it smells and looks normal.

Use-by

The closest thing to a real safety date. Take this one seriously for meat, poultry, fish, and ready-to-eat refrigerated items. For shelf-stable goods, it's still mostly about quality.

Sell-by

A signal to the store, not to you. Milk typically stays good 5–7 days past its sell-by date if it's been kept cold.

How to judge for yourself

• Smell first. Sour, ammonia, or rancid smells are a hard no.
• Look. Slime on meat, fuzzy mold on soft cheese or berries, bulging cans — discard.
• Taste a tiny bite. If it tastes off, stop.

Track expiry without obsessing

FridgeSpy sets sensible default expiries per category and nudges you a day or two before — not the moment the printed date hits. You decide what to cook, what to freeze, and what to skip.