What You Need to Know About Food Expiration Dates – When to Eat, When to Toss (Spoiler: Most Food Lasts Longer Than You Think!)

You open the fridge, spot a container of yogurt from two days ago… and see it’s past the date.

Do you toss it?

Before you throw out perfectly good food — stop.

Because here’s the truth:

Most expiration dates aren’t safety deadlines.

They’re about quality, not danger.

In fact, the U.S. wastes over 100 billion pounds of food per year — much of it tossed simply because people misread these labels.

Let’s break down what those confusing dates really mean — so you can eat smarter, waste less, and save money.

🧾 The Real Meaning Behind Common Food Labels

These terms are not regulated the same way, and none of them are federally required (except for infant formula). Here’s what they actually mean: