use by
Consume before then
Use by indicates the date before which a product should be consumed or used.
Found on food packaging, it marks the manufacturer's recommendation for peak quality or safety: Check the use by date on the milk.
Unlike "best by" or "sell by," use by typically signals a firmer deadline—especially for perishables where safety, not just quality, is at stake.
- expirationEnd of validity
- shelf lifeUsable storage duration
- dateSpecific day or outing
- consumeTake in fully
- freshnessState of being unspoiled
food safety · spoil · past its prime · label · perishable · deadline · food · packaging · grocery · milk · stale · rotten · gone bad · timestamp · refrigerate · expired · discard · safety
- expiration datesexpiration, expiration date, best before, shelf life, freshness date
- product labelsingredient list, warning labels, safety labels, warning label, nutrition facts
- spoiled foodrotting, molding, spoiling, decaying, rancid
food dating terminology
use bybest before
Food freshness deadline
sell by · harvest date · best by · freshness date · expiration date