Best-before dates are actually a marketing gimmick. They use focus groups to taste test products and set the best-before based on when group opinion drops the most. Product is still fine, just past its prime.
Expiry dates can generally be ignored on fresh food (you can tell with your own senses if it's expired or not based on your local storage conditions), but on canned goods definitely pay attention because they're typically marketed towards the thrifty/long-storage types who actually need that info. Expiration on drugs should also be obeyed: it indicates when a medicine is either ineffective as the active ingredient has decayed, or downright dangerous if it's decayed into something bad.
Best-before dates are actually a marketing gimmick. They use focus groups to taste test products and set the best-before based on when group opinion drops the most. Product is still fine, just past its prime.
Expiry dates can generally be ignored on fresh food (you can tell with your own senses if it's expired or not based on your local storage conditions), but on canned goods definitely pay attention because they're typically marketed towards the thrifty/long-storage types who actually need that info. Expiration on drugs should also be obeyed: it indicates when a medicine is either ineffective as the active ingredient has decayed, or downright dangerous if it's decayed into something bad.