Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if someone who ate a meal you prepared became ill as a result of consuming it? Keeping your food safe at home plays an important part in preventing this from happening.

So how does food become unsafe? Paying attention to food expiration dates helps to ensure that your food is safe to eat. However, with so many different types of expiration dates on food packaging these days, they have become confusing and difficult to understand.

Here are the FAQs on what they all mean:

• Sell By – This date tells the store how long to display the food item for sale. You should purchase the food item before the date expires.
• Best if Used By (Or Before) – This date is recommended to get the best flavor or quality from the food item. It is not a purchase or safety date.
• Use By – This date is the last date recommended for the use of the food item while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the food item. This date is not a guarantee of an uncontaminated food item once the package has been opened.

Be sure to check the expiration dates on all food before purchasing it and using it as part of a meal to help keep your meals safe to eat.