Expiration dates on food/beverages?

It depends on the product & how well it has been handled since you got it; for instance, was it refrigerated immediately, left in a hot car, opened but not all of the product used, etc.

A lot of things you can tell by taste or smell if they are bad: milk will turn sour, chips (which usually last a while past the expiration date) will be stale. Some things it's best not to mess with because of the potential hazard, like eggs or meats.

Some people will throw everything away if it's out of date, but you have to remember that manufacturer's are going to put on the earliest date possible to avoid ANY liability, so they will go with an expiration date well before the product is usually unusable. Plus, if you throw it away, you have to replace it, so they sell more.

If you use common sense (and your senses!) you can avoid throwing away good food. Just don't take chances with hazardous high protein foods; you can't always see the bacteria, so with it's better to not take chances very far off the expiration date.

Also, read carefully and see if the date says:

Use by

Sell by

Best if used by

That can give you a clue also.

Its better just to leave in the freezer just before it is expired but it is better off not to eat food after there expired date

I don't pay any attention to expiration dates. If it looks good and smells good I use it. I only keep fresh meats, poultry or pork in the refrigerator for 2 days, other than that I freeze it immediately in the deep freezer.

Its always better not to use food at all after the expiration date.

If a store was sellind food past exp date, you should take it back to them with the bill.

Important difference between 'best before' and 'use by'.

'Best before' is generally used on dry goods and goods that may go stale but not mouldy or rotten - so if the best before is 11 Nov, the manufacturer is recommending that you use it before then as after that date it may not taste as nice BUT you're not going to do yourself any damage by eating it, you just won't enjoy it as much.

'Use by', on the other hand, is a definite date. If you consume a product after its 'use by' date you risk harming yourself as it may have developed harmful bacteria - eg. meat can rot, dairy products go rancid - they're no longer edible.

In my days there were no expiry dates on food and beverages. We just used "common sense".

But then, we had a milkman, a local bakery, a local butcher, etc.