{
  "id": "food-safety/date-labels-not-federal-safety-dates",
  "signature": "AI tells a US consumer that food is unsafe or must be discarded once its 'sell by,' 'use by,' or 'best by' date has passed, treating these as federally mandated safety expiration dates",
  "signature_zh": "",
  "regex": "(sell.by date.*expired|use.by date.*unsafe|best.by date.*throw (away|out))",
  "domain": "food-safety",
  "category": "hazard_misjudgment",
  "subcategory": null,
  "root_cause": "Except for infant formula, product dating on US packaged food is not required by federal law or regulation - manufacturers apply 'Sell-By,' 'Use-By,' 'Best if Used By,' and similar dates voluntarily as quality indicators, not safety cutoffs. USDA and FDA both state a 'use by' date reflects peak flavor/quality, not a safety deadline, and properly stored food generally remains safe to eat after that date passes; spoilage should be judged by smell, texture, and appearance instead. Infant formula is the sole federally mandated exception: FDA regulation requires a 'Use By' date on every container, and formula should not be fed to an infant after that date because the manufacturer only guarantees nutrient content up to it.",
  "root_cause_type": "generic",
  "root_cause_zh": "",
  "versions": [
    {
      "version": "any",
      "introduced": null,
      "deprecated": null,
      "removed": null,
      "behavior_change": null,
      "status": "active"
    }
  ],
  "os_specific": {},
  "dead_ends": [
    {
      "action": "Tell a consumer that a passed 'sell by,' 'use by,' or 'best by' date on ordinary packaged food (other than infant formula) means the food is unsafe and must be thrown out",
      "why_fails": "USDA FSIS states that except for infant formula, product dating is not required by federal regulation at all, and where manufacturers add these dates voluntarily, a 'use-by' date is the last date recommended for use of the product while at peak quality and is not a safety date. FDA says the same: these are quality indicators, and properly stored food does not have to be discarded once the date passes.",
      "fail_rate": 0.75,
      "condition": "Any packaged food except infant formula",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/food-product-dating",
        "https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/confused-date-labels-packaged-foods"
      ]
    },
    {
      "action": "Apply the same 'date has passed, still fine if stored properly' reasoning to infant formula",
      "why_fails": "Infant formula is the one federally regulated exception: FDA requires a 'Use By' date on every container, and the manufacturer only guarantees the labeled nutrient content and quality up to that date - formula should not be fed to an infant after it passes.",
      "fail_rate": 0.6,
      "condition": "Infant formula specifically",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/infant-formula-safety-dos-and-donts"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "workarounds": [
    {
      "action": "Judge ordinary packaged food safety by smell, texture, appearance, and proper storage/handling rather than by a passed sell-by/use-by/best-by date",
      "success_rate": 0.85,
      "how": "",
      "condition": "Non-perishable or properly refrigerated packaged food",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/food-product-dating"
      ]
    },
    {
      "action": "Treat infant formula's 'Use By' date as a hard safety cutoff and discard/replace unopened containers once it passes",
      "success_rate": 0.9,
      "how": "",
      "condition": "Infant formula",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/infant-formula-safety-dos-and-donts"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "workarounds_zh": [],
  "transition_graph": {
    "leads_to": [],
    "preceded_by": [],
    "frequently_confused_with": []
  },
  "official_doc_url": null,
  "official_doc_section": null,
  "error_code": null,
  "verification_tier": "ai_generated",
  "confidence": 0.75,
  "fix_success_rate": 0.85,
  "resolvable": "true",
  "first_seen": "2026-09-14",
  "last_confirmed": "2026-09-14",
  "last_updated": "2026-09-14",
  "evidence_count": 3,
  "tags": [],
  "locale": "en",
  "aliases": [
    "food-safety/date-labels-not-federal-safety-dates/us"
  ]
}