Enter an expiry date and see exactly how many days are left, whether it has expired, and when to use the item first.
Unlike the Expiry Date Calculator, which works out an expiry date from a manufacture date plus shelf life, this tool starts from an expiry date you already know — the one printed on the pack.
days remaining
How to use this tool
Type the use-by or best-before date exactly as printed on the pack, and set how many days ahead you want a warning.
The headline counts whole calendar days from today to the expiry date. A negative number means it has already expired.
Expired means do not use it. Expiring soon means use this item before newer stock. In date means it is still within its printed life.
The warning date is the expiry date minus your warning window — the day from which the item should be prioritised.
Formula & worked example
An item expiring on 2026-12-25, checked on 2026-12-01 with a 30-day warning window, has 24 days remaining and is flagged as expiring soon, with a warning date of 2026-11-25.
Limitations — read this before you rely on it
This tool reads the date you give it; it cannot tell whether a product is actually safe after its date, and best-before and use-by dates mean different things. A use-by date is a safety limit, while a best-before date is about quality. When in doubt, follow the label and local food-safety guidance.
Frequently asked questions
The Expiry Date Calculator works out an expiry date from a manufacture or opening date plus a shelf life. This tool starts from an expiry date you already know and tells you how much time is left.
No. If the expiry date is today, the result is 0 days remaining and the status is expires today. Yesterday gives −1 and expired.
It means the expiry date falls inside your warning window — 30 days by default. It is a prompt to use the item first, not a safety verdict.
Yes. Dates are counted on the real calendar, so February 29 and month lengths are handled correctly.
Yes. A past expiry date returns a negative day count and an expired status, so you can confirm how long ago something expired.