Buzz
Every year, countless food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products are discarded due to misunderstandings about expiration dates. Let’s dive into the difference between the expiration code (the optimal time for a product’s consumption) and the production date (the time the product was packaged). By understanding how to read these codes, you’ll gain a better understanding of how long food remains fresh, how long medications are effective, and when cosmetics lose their potency. This knowledge will help you become a savvy consumer and save money by reducing waste.
Steps
Read the Expiration Date
Look for the date labeled “use by”, “sell by”, or “best by”. Check the bottom of the product, the side of the packaging, or the top or neck of a bottle. The date is typically stamped, but depending on its placement, it may be difficult to locate or read.
- Many beauty products don’t have an expiration date, but some do. Note: most beauty products are good for 30 months, and once opened, they should be used within one year. However, if a product doesn't emit an unusual odor or change in texture after its expiration date, you can evaluate if it’s still suitable for use.
- The dates with these labels indicate when a product should be consumed, as intended by the manufacturer or when the product is on display in stores. Additionally, there’s the packaging date code, but this one is mainly for manufacturers, not consumers.
Did You Know? Expiration dates for food, medicine, and cosmetics are not strictly regulated by the Department of Market Management. These dates are entirely decided by the product manufacturers. This is part of the reason why these codes can sometimes be difficult to read and understand.
Use the 'best by' date to determine the maximum time the product maintains its freshness or effectiveness. This is information intended for consumers. However, it does not mean that food, medicine, or beauty products will start to spoil after that date. It simply indicates that the product is at its peak quality when consumed before that date.
- If food smells bad, is moldy, or changes color, throw it away immediately. If the smell and color are fine and the product is stored properly, it is still safe to eat.
- If a cosmetic starts to smell strange or changes in texture, it is likely no longer good to use. For example, a moisturizer may clump, or liquid foundation may separate between water and powder.
- It’s difficult to determine if a pharmaceutical is still effective. Most over-the-counter medications remain effective for up to 10 years after the expiration date. Ideally, ask yourself whether you need the medication to work at 100% effectiveness. If so, replace expired medicines.
Remove products from display after the 'sell by' date if you are a retailer.
Although you can still sell the product for at least 7-10 days after the sell-by date, most retailers prefer to take these items off the shelf to make room for newer stock. Medicines and cosmetics usually don’t have a sell-by date unless they contain fresh ingredients.
- If you're shopping and notice a product has passed its sell-by date, you can still buy it. Just make sure it is used within a week.
Check the 'use by' date to know when the product begins to change. This date does not indicate that food, cosmetics, or medicine are no longer safe or have gone bad. However, you should be more cautious with food, as it may have started to spoil. For other products, after the use-by date, they may no longer be as effective.
- Expiration dates are more about product quality than safety. Remember that these dates are selected by the manufacturer, not the Department of Market Management.
- Some food products also have a 'freeze by' date, which helps consumers know when to transfer the product from the refrigerator to the freezer for optimal storage.
- Pay attention to unusual smells or changes in texture of food and cosmetics. These signs indicate that the product may no longer be good for use or consumption.
- Rest assured that medicines purchased in recent years should still be effective. However, if you’re concerned that the pharmaceutical may not reach its full potential, such as painkillers or allergy medications, consider replacing it.
Read the production date code
Look for the production date code or the phrase “made/manufactured on”. On beauty products and canned goods, you can find this code in the form of letters and numbers or just numbers. If this code is not accompanied by terms like “use by”, “sell by”, or “best by”, it indicates the product's manufacturing date. Production date codes come in various formats.
Tip: Keep in mind that the production date code does not indicate the product's expiration date. Instead, it is used for inventory and tracking purposes by the manufacturer.
Pay attention to the letters that indicate the product's manufacturing month. If the code you are reading includes letters, use the English alphabet from A to L to identify the month. For example, January is A, February is B, March is C, and so on. The numbers following the letters represent the day of the month and the manufacturing year.
- Example: the code “D1519” means April 15, 2019.
- Many products list both the production date code and the expiration date code. If the code you are reading does not include any terms like “use by” or “best by”, it is the production date code and does not indicate product quality.
Read codes that consist of numbers in the format “month, day, year”. If the code includes six digits, it is likely in MMDDYY format (month - day - year), where “MM” represents the month, “DD” the day, and “YY” the year. This is one of the most common formats you'll find on food items.
- Example: “121518” means December 15, 2018.
- Some brands use a year-month-day format. For example, the code for December 15, 2018, might be “181215”.
Read codes with three numeric digits indicating the day of the year the product was made. This is the Julian date code, often used on imported goods. It is very common on egg cartons, but sometimes appears on canned goods as well. Each day of the 365 days in a year is assigned a numeric value, such as “001” for January 1 and “365” for December 31.
- Example: if a can of olive oil has a three-digit code “213”, it means the product was manufactured on August 1.
Tip: For eggs, we recommend purchasing them within 30 days of the production date for safe consumption. You can also check the freshness of the eggs by placing them in a bowl of cold water. If the egg sinks, it’s still fresh. If it floats, it’s best not to eat it.
Advice
- Infant formula is the only product that is strictly regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for expiration dates. If the product is past its expiration, dispose of it immediately.
Warning
- Although a product may technically still be safe after its expiration date, it’s always important to use your senses for verification. If the product smells bad or looks unusual, it’s better to discard it rather than use it.
