What is the difference between an expiration and best by date?Updated 2 months ago

The "best buy" date should not be confused with an expiration date.  These dates are set very conservatively in the vitamin and supplement industry, ensuring that the product remains safe and effective long after this date.  Your product will maintain its safety and effectiveness throughout the entire period you intend to use it.

Probiotics often have “best buy” dates, while multivitamins typically have “manufactured” dates, this has to do with the nature of the products and how their effectiveness may change over time.

Probiotics are living microorganisms that are beneficial for our health, particularly for digestive and immune system function.  These microorganisms can degrade or lose their potency over time, especially if they are not stored properly.  The “best buy” date on probiotics indicates the period during which the manufacturer guarantees the viability and effectiveness of the probiotic bacteria. After the best buy date, the potency and effectiveness of the probiotics may decline, although they may still be safe to consume.

On the other hand, multivitamins are typically a combination of various vitamins and minerals that are intended to supplement our daily nutrient intake. Unlike probiotics, vitamins and minerals are not living organisms and are generally stable substances. They do not usually degrade significantly over time if stored properly. Therefore, manufacturers typically provide the “manufactured” date on multivitamins to indicate when the product was made. This date is primarily used for quality control purposes and to track the product throughout its shelf life.