It is a common food-related myth that you should never purchase food that has passed its sell by date. Although this myth has some truth to it, it is generally safe to buy most foods past their sell by date.
The Myth
This particular myth stems from the belief that no food should be purchased past its sell by date, as such food is likely to be spoiled and therefore unfit for human consumption. While this is true in certain cases, virtually all varieties of pre-packaged food are perfectly safe to consume even after they have passed their respective sell by dates.
When dealing with issues related to expiration dates, it is important to understand that very few food products have legislated sell by dates, and as such, many of these dates are exclusively determined by food manufacturers. Only in the case of baby food products, poultry, and in some states, dairy products, are food manufacturers required by law to provide sell by dates, meaning that in most cases, these dates are provided voluntarily and serve more as guidelines as opposed to outright expiration dates.
Exercising Caution
When purchasing food past its sell by date, there are certain precautions you should take. First off, make sure that the date after which the food is being purchased is a sell by date and not an expiration date. Secondly, keep in mind that while certain products, such as crackers, can be eaten up to several months past their sell by date, most meat and seafood products can only be consumed within several days of said date. Additionally dairy products, such as milk and cheese, can typically be consumed within 5 days to 1 week of their respective sell by dates. Lastly, take care to exercise common sense. If the food you wish to purchase looks or smells rotten, don't buy it.
