I had to constantly monitor expiration dates when I managed a meat market. Some you find in time and some you don`t. You throw away the ones that are out and reduce the ones that only have a few days. My question is how closely do you watch the dates on the items in your refrigerator and pantry and do you throw it away the instant it goes out of date.

We check dates, but my nose will be the final judge.

Same here, if it stinks, or smells like it shouldn't, throw it out.

Yup

same here ... I still remember the days there weren't any expiration dates ... it was mostly based on smell. My dad used to buy C & K rations from the surplus store on base at Fort Hood, no telling how old some of those things were ...

Never check them. I have sugar, salt, and corn starch in canisters that has been there for years.

I check some, and if it smells/taste bad I probably wont eat it... probably.

The other day my wife started cleaning out cabinets, she had a bag of flour, sugar, and bottles of vanilla extract, vinegar, soy sauce, and some salt that she had piled up on the counter to toss because the use by date was passes. I put them all back in the cabinet. Have used several of them with no ill effects since.

Had a kid bring back a bottled Sprite when I was helping out with a high school ball game concessions because it had "expired" the month before. Didn't know cokes expired - who even looks at that? My belief is expiration dates are suggestions, not absolutes. If it passes the nose test I'm good.

Salt is a mineral, not sure why they'd dated that.

My mother passed away recently and we were at my folks house after the memorial service. My mom always has a jar of snacks out for the grand kids, and my daughter grabbed a bag of Doritos which had an expiration date of March 13, and since it was March 2, she thought, "no problem". Nope, the expiration was March 2013. Ha! She made the worst face after eating the first chip. All of the snacks were checked, and almost all were tossed. Was a funny moment on a pretty dismal day.

Nose test here, too.

The only expiration dates I really pay attention to are the ones on bagged & prewashed salad mixes. Those damn things turn bad and slimy real quick.

I've always thought expiration dates were a ploy to get you to throw away good food and buy more. Follow the Money!!

Well articulated.

With dairy Ill abide by the dates, unless it's withing a few days. Other than that it gets the smell and visual test.

Heck majority of the meats I buy have the 25% or manager special(50% off) sticker on them, then it get's tossed in the freezer.

I'm curious to what the "smell" test criteria is for everyone. I eat stuff that smells slightly off. Do others throw it away? My smell test failure criteria is when I end up trying not to throw up.

Weird ‘expiration date’ example. My family moved to Missouri in fall 1968. House had been empty for at least two years. In spring 1969 we cleaned out some cabinets and found a bottle of prune juice in a far back corner. Don’t really know how old that juice was. Who knows how long it had set in that cabinet before we found it. My friend from down the road was helping. He said his Dad (Bill) used all kinds of juices to make wine (tomato wine is pretty good by the way!). We took the bottle to his house and Bill said he had never done prune wine but wanted to give it a try. Turned out real good. Bill used that one quart bottle to make two gallons. Have to say that stuff was good, but the color was not very appetizing.