When you’re shopping for eggs, it can be a bit confusing to figure out which ones are the freshest. There are several different expiration dates that you’ll see on egg cartons, but there’s a big difference between them.
Summary Table
| Best By | Expired |
| After the date, the products are no longer in peak condition. | After the date, the products are no longer safe to eat/use. |
| It is safe to eat the product after its best by date. | It is a must to use the product before the expiration date. |
A best-by date is the last day of the year when an egg can still be sold and will have its best quality and taste. However, this doesn’t mean that eggs won’t start to deteriorate after that date.
This date will vary depending on the variety of eggs and whether it’s in the shell or not. Best-by dates also vary based on where they were sold as well as whether they were stored properly in your home or not.
The expired date is when an egg is already past its safe-to-consume date. This can be because the egg was sold too soon, the hen that laid it is past her prime, or you just mishandled the egg in some way. Expired eggs should not be eaten as they have already begun to deteriorate and could make you sick.
Definitions
The best by date is the date at which the food product is supposed to reach its peak quality, which means it will be at its best before it gets spoiled.
The best-by date is usually printed on the package of a product and it tells you how long after this date you can use the product without worrying about spoiling it.
Expired means that your product has passed its best before or expiration day and has started losing quality due to bacteria and other microorganisms growing inside of them.
You should not eat expired products because they could make you sick or give you food poisoning.
Difference Between Best By and Expired
The main difference between best-by and expired is how they are handled.
The best-by date refers to the quality of your meat and it is a fixed date that is known in advance. You can buy meat before the date and then use it but it will lose its freshness over time. The food is at its peak when you get it right after the best-by date.
Expired refers to a food product that has passed its best before or on expiration day, which means it loses its freshness over time because of moisture loss, bacteria growth, as well as other microorganisms growing inside of them.
It is therefore important to use expired meat within the time frame that is given on the packaging because you might get food poisoning or worse if you use an expired meat product after the expiration date.
The best by and expired terms refer to two different ways in which meat products are handled. You should therefore use the meat product within the time frame given on the package or you might get sick or worse.
