USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

1-888-MPHotline

(1-888-674-6854)

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health agency 

in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.

Food Safety Information

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

What is dating?

“Open Dating” (use of a calendar date as opposed 

to a code) on a food product is a date stamped on a 

product’s package to help the store determine how 

long to display the product for sale. It can also help the 

purchaser to know the time limit to purchase or use the 

product at its best quality. It is not a safety date. After 

the date passes, while not of best quality, the product 

should still be safe if handled properly and kept at 40 

°F or below for the recommended storage times listed 

on the chart (see below). If product has a “use-by” 

date, follow that date. If product has a “sell-by” date or 

no date, cook or freeze the product by the times on the 

chart below.

Is dating required by federal law?

Except for infant formula (see below), product dating is 

not generally required by Federal regulations. However, 

if a calendar date is used, it must express both the 

month and day of the month (and the year, in the case 

of shelf-stable and frozen products). If a calendar date 

is shown, immediately adjacent to the date must be 

a phrase explaining the meaning of that date such as 

“sell by” or “use before.”

There is no uniform or universally accepted system 

used for food dating in the United States. Although 

dating of some foods is required by more than 20 

states, there are areas of the country where much of 

the food supply has some type of open date and other 

areas where almost no food is dated. 

What types of food are dated?

Open dating is found primarily on perishable foods such 

as meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products. “Closed” or 

“coded” dating might appear on shelf-stable products 

such as cans and boxes of food.

Food Product Dating

“Sell by Feb 14” is a type of information you might find on a meat or poultry product. Are dates required on food 

products? Does it mean the product will be unsafe to use after that date? Here is some background information 

which answers these and other questions about product dating.

Types of Dates

•	 A “Sell-By” date tells the store how long to 

display the product for sale. You should buy the 

product before the date expires. 

•	 A “Best if Used By (or Before)” date is 

recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not 

a purchase or safety date. 

•	 A “Use-By” date is the last date recommended 

for the use of the product while at peak 

quality. The date has been determined by the 

manufacturer of the product. 

•	 “Closed or coded dates” are packing numbers 

for use by the manufacturer. 

Safety After Date Expires

Except for “use-by” dates, product dates don’t always 

refer to home storage and use after purchase. “Use-by” 

dates usually refer to best quality and are not safety 

dates. But even if the date expires during home storage, 

a product should be safe, wholesome and of good 

quality if handled properly and kept at 40 °F or below. 

See the accompanying refrigerator charts for storage 

times of dated products. If product has a “use-by” date, 

follow that date. If product has a “sell-by” date or no 

date, cook or freeze the product by the times on the 

chart below.

Foods can develop an off odor, flavor or appearance 

due to spoilage bacteria. If a food has developed such 

characteristics, you should not use it for quality reasons.

If foods are mishandled, however, foodborne bacteria 

can grow and cause foodborne illness — before or after 

the date on the package. For example, if hot dogs are 

taken to a picnic and left out several hours, they might 

not be safe if used thereafter, even if the date hasn’t 

expired.
Food Product Dating

Other examples of potential mishandling are products 

that have been: defrosted at room temperature more 

than two hours; cross contaminated; or handled by 

people who don’t use practice sanitation. Make sure to 

follow the handling and preparation instructions on the 

label to ensure top quality and safety.

Dating Infant Formula

Federal regulations require a “use-by” date on the 

product label of infant formula under FDA inspection. If 

consumed by that date, the formula must contain not 

less than the quantity of each nutrient as described on 

the label. Formula must maintain an acceptable quality 

to pass through an ordinary bottle nipple. If stored too 

long, formula can separate and clog the nipple.

The “use-by” date is selected by the manufacturer, 

packer or distributor of the product on the basis of 

product analysis throughout its shelf life, tests, or 

other information. It is also based on the conditions of 

handling, storage, preparation, and use printed on the 

label. Do not buy or use baby formula after its “use-by” 

date.

What do can codes mean?

Cans must exhibit a packing code to enable tracking 

of the product in interstate commerce. This enables 

manufacturers to rotate their stock as well as to locate 

their products in the event of a recall.

These codes, which appear as a series of letters 

and/or numbers, might refer to the date or time of 

manufacture. They aren’t meant for the consumer to 

interpret as “use-by” dates. There is no book or Web 

site that tells how to translate the codes into dates.

Cans may also display “open” or calendar dates. Usually 

these are “best if used by” dates for peak quality.

In general, high-acid canned foods such as tomatoes, 

grapefruit and pineapple will retain best quality on the 

shelf for 12 to 18 months; low-acid canned foods such 

as meat, poultry, fish and most vegetables will retain 

best quality on the shelf for 2 to 5 years — if the can 

remains in good condition and has been stored in a 

cool, clean, dry place.

Dates on Egg Cartons

Use of either a “Sell-by” or “Expiration” (EXP) date is 

not federally required, but may be State required, as 

defined by the egg laws in the State where the eggs are 

marketed. Some State egg laws do not allow the use of 

a “sell-by” date. 

Many eggs reach stores only a few days after the hen 

lays them. Egg cartons with the USDA grade shield on 

them must display the “pack date” (the day that the 

eggs were washed, graded, and placed in the carton). 

The number is a three-digit code that represents the 

consecutive day of the year starting with January 1 

as 001 and ending with December 31 as 365. When a 

“sell-by” date appears on a carton bearing the USDA 

grade shield, the code date may not exceed 45 days 

from the date of pack. 

Always purchase eggs before the “Sell-By” or “EXP” 

date on the carton. After the eggs reach home, 

refrigerate the eggs in their original carton and place 

them in the coldest part of the refrigerator, not in the 

door. For best quality, use eggs within 3 to 5 weeks of 

the date you purchase them. The “sell-by” date will 

usually expire during that length of time, but the eggs 

are perfectly safe to use.

UPC or Bar Codes

Universal Product Codes appear on packages as black 

lines of varying widths above a series of numbers. 

They are not required by regulation but manufacturers 

print them on most product labels because scanners 

at supermarkets can “read” them quickly to record the 

price at checkout. 

Bar codes are used by stores and manufacturers for 

inventory purposes and marketing information. When 

read by a computer, they can reveal such specific 

information as the manufacturer’s name, product name, 

size of product and price. The numbers are not used to 

identify recalled products.

Storage Times

Since product dates aren’t a guide for safe use of a 

product, how long can the consumer store the food and 

still use it at top quality? Follow these tips: 

•	 Purchase the product before the date expires. 

•	 If perishable, take the food home immediately 

after purchase and refrigerate it promptly. 

Freeze it if you can’t use it within times 

recommended on chart. 

•	 Once a perishable product is frozen, it doesn’t 

matter if the date expires because foods kept 

frozen continuously are safe indefinitely. 

•	 Follow handling recommendations on product. 

•	 Consult the following storage charts.

Food Safety Information 2
Food Safety Information 3

Food Product Dating

Refrigerator Home Storage (at 40 °F or below) of Fresh or Uncooked Products

If product has a “use-by” date, follow that date. If product has a “sell-by” date or no date, cook or freeze the 

product by the times on the following chart.

Refrigerator Storage of Fresh or Uncooked Products

Product

Poultry

Beef, Veal, Pork and Lamb

Ground Meat and Ground Poultry

Fresh Variety Meats 

 (Liver, Tongue, Brain, Kidneys, Heart, Chitterlings)

Cured Ham, Cook-Before-Eating

Sausage from Pork, Beef or Turkey, Uncooked

Eggs 

Storage Times After Purchase

1 or 2 days

3 to 5 days

1 or 2 days

1 or 2 days

5 to 7 days

1 or 2 days

3 to 5 weeks
Food Product Dating

Food Safety Questions?

The USDA is an equal opportunity

 provider and employer.

Revised September 2011

Call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

Send E-mail questions to MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov.

FSIS encourages the reprint and distribution of this publication for food safety 

education purposes. However, USDA symbols or logos may not be used separately to 

imply endorsement of a commercial product or service. 

Refrigerator Home Storage (at 40 °F or below) 

of Processed Products Sealed at Plant

If product has a “use-by” date, follow that date. If product has a “sell-by” date or no date, cook or freeze the 

product by the times on the following chart.

Processed Product

Cooked Poultry

Cooked Sausage

Sausage, Hard/Dry, shelf-stable

Corned Beef, uncooked, in pouch with pickling 

juices

Vacuum-packed Dinners, Commercial Brand with 

USDA seal

Bacon

Hot dogs

Luncheon meat

Ham, fully cooked

Ham, canned, labeled “keep refrigerated”

Ham, canned, shelf stable

Canned Meat and Poultry, shelf stable

Unopened, After 

Purchase

3 to 4 days 

3 to 4 days

6 weeks/pantry 

5 to 7 days

2 weeks

2 weeks

2 weeks

2 weeks

7 days

9 months

2 years/pantry

2 to 5 years/pantry

After Opening

3 to 4 days 

3 to 4 days

3 weeks

3 to 4 days

3 to 4 days

7 days

1 week

3 to 5 days

slices, 3 days; whole, 

7 days

3 to 4 days

3 to 5 days

3 to 4 days

AskKaren.gov

FSIS’ automated response 

system can provide food safety 

information 24/7 

and a live 

chat during 

Hotline 

hours.

If you have a question 

about meat, 

poultry, or egg 

products, call 

the USDA Meat 

and Poultry 

Hotline 

toll free at 

1-888-MPHotline

(1-888-674-6854).

 The hotline is open Monday 

through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 

p.m. ET (English or Spanish).

Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a 

day. Check out the 

FSIS Web site at

 

www.fsis.usda.gov Mobile phone users

can access m.askkaren.gov

PregunteleaKaren.gov