I can report for true that Twinkies do not last forever on the shelf. By the 10th month, they are pretty hard. Probably okay to eat, but...yuck.

Elsewise, I consider those dates as "sell by", except for milk. I seem to only like very fresh milk. Lots of foods, especially canned but most things like fruit cups, will last long beyond the expiration. What may happen is discoloration. If it's sealed, and it's something that was packaged properly, it can be fine weeks after for fridge items (CAN be not IS), stuff that doesn't need to be refridged even longer, and dry goods way longer, even a year (taste won't be as good). For meats and veggies I will go up to a week and only if it looks and smells okay. No slimy films.

I like to use a thing I call common sense.

If it still smells OK I eat/drink it. Unless there was a layer of fuzzy scum on the top that you ate, you'll probably be fine.

You'll be fine..expiration dates are used by the retailers to control inventories..if the date has past they can't sell them..the food stuffs are good for at least 2 weeks after.

Lol! I eat stuff that is expired, best by is a guideline, not a rule!

I'm a health inspector. Don't confuse 'use-by' dates with expiration dates. Most of the dates you see on products have to do with product quality and not safety. Fresh products (not canned or sealed) are kept fresh and safe by keeping your refrigerator at 40F or below. The lower the temperature the longer fresh products will last. Also don't confuse spoilage with microbes that cause illnesses such as Salmonella, Staph, etc. Spoiled foods may or may not make you sick depending on the state of decomposition. In any case, protect foods from contamination such as blood and juices from meats, pork and fish (put fresh vegetables and similar on higher shelves than meats), cook to the safe internal temperatures for each product (165F is best), wash your hands, and use clean and sanitized equipment. Check internal cooking temperature with thermometer.

There is a best before date on my salt LOL. And Camembert cheese isn't worth eating until after the use by date!
Fish and chicken I'm a bit more careful with, but otherwise if it isn't rank I'll eat it, if it's only a touch dodgy I'll wash it with vinegar and curry it.

I work with food professionally. The dates on food are there for a reason. There is the "use by" date...which is allegedly the "gonna give you the screaming poopies " expiration date. The "sell by" date means that is supposedly good for three more days. Canned food? Don't know. Never used.

I pretty much ignore them. If they smell fine, taste fine, then all good. I am against food waste, I run a community pantry with all donations close to use by date, but then I also grow much of my own food, so maybe I balance fresh with less than.

I just cooked porkchops 2 days beyond that date. they smelled fine. Not the first time and I am not dead yet. I would go by look and smell maybe a tiny taste.I feel safer with vegetables than meat though

I'd rather follow the use by dates to keep the fresh taste.

They're just suggestions. There is no government mandate for this labelling. It's a gimmick to get stuff off the shelf as fast as possible.

Your eyes and nose are the best judge of freshness.

Interesting point, I think I got this from "Adams Ruins Everything"; you cannot get sick from consuming spoiled milk, reason being, it is pasteurized.

I used to work in a food microbiology lab. A lot of those labels are arbitrary and BS. I wouldn't take a chance on "wet" items with cream or egg in them, however.

Eh, you'll be fine with the hummus. Just make sure there's nothing growing on it...and that it doesn't smell weird.

Some things the date does not matter. I always give it the smell test, and it usually works.

It really depends on the type of food. I occasionally shop at a discount food store which sells outdated, damaged and or discontinued food. Sometimes the quality isn't as good. I haven't ever gotten sick from it.

Depends on what it is, and how far out from the "best/use by" date it is.
Good luck with that hummus.

Sorry! But you might find out if there is a god