What is freshness dating?
“Freshest” or “Sell by” dating usually indicates how long the product will be at its best. There is no one federal standard on printing freshness dates on labels, although many food manufacturers include some form of dating on their labels. It should also be noted that different food products retain their freshness at different rates due to the type of ingredients, and the methods of preparation, packaging and storage. Different formats for dating include production date codes, “sell by” dates, and “use by” dates.