Verify: At-home testing kits come with confusing expiration date label

ST. LOUIS — Millions of Americans have ordered at-home COVID-19 testing kits through the United States Postal Service and state programs like Missouri's in the last few weeks. Some of those people might receive BinaxNow antigen testing kits, and they'll be looking at the same label that had 5 On Your Side viewer Jane asking for the Verify team's help.

Instead of words, the label shows icons and two dates. Jane asked the Verify team: which one tells her how long the kit is supposed to last?

On top of that, the producer of the kits recently announced that their authorization from the Food and Drug Administration now includes a longer shelf life. So how does that apply to existing kits?

THE QUESTION

Is the most accurate "use by" or expiration date on packages of BinaxNow antigen testing kits?

THE SOURCES

The FDA

and Abbott Laboratories, the manufacturers of the BinaxNow test

THE ANSWER

The expiration date to use for a BinaxNow testing kit is on the label and marked with an hourglass shape.

WHAT WE FOUND

An Abbott spokesperson told the Verify team that, on the label containing icons and two dates, the date marked with the hourglass icon is the expiration date.

The other icon next to a date is meant to be a factory, and indicates the date the test was manufactured.

Both dates are written in order of Year, Month, Day. In that format, today's date (February 9, 2022) would be written 2022-02-09.

An FDA spokesperson wrote in a statement to the Verify team that all COVID-19 test kits are labeled with an expiration date. 

"The FDA does not recommend using tests kits past their authorized expiration dates, as the performance of the test will be unknown," they wrote.

The FDA recently granted a 3-month extension to the shelf life of BinaxNow testing kits, extending their lifespan from 12 months to 15 months. The Abbott representative stated that new packaging will reflect the longer shelf life, but for tests currently on the market and in homes, consumers should still abide by the expiration date on the box.