Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/04/15/which-expiration-dates-on-food.html
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If only the body had some sort of built in sensory capacity to determine whether food was still capable of providing nutritive value or was suffering from spoilage.
Within the realm of cultivated and prepared foods, the main exception to the above that I can think of is “don’t eat anything in a hermetically sealed container that’s bulging, ever.”
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If only the body had some sort of built in sensory capacity
If yours has failed, just get the kids to sniff it… don’t tell them first, of course, what you’re doing. 
(and this does depend on how bad the kids themselves smell in the first place…)
We tell them: “Best before doesn’t mean poisonous after.” 
…then wait for a couple of minutes after they try it first…
/s …mostly…
…though some molds that can affect flours and peanuts can be pretty nasty…
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Just a note that at least some artificial sweeteners break down after a while so don’t stockpile that diet coke.
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Flours are also prone to getting bugs, but you’re ok on that front if you see no weevil.
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funny you should mention it, I actually have a can of Vienna sausages from '86.
I wonder how much it’s worth?
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There are plenty of nasty food-borne pathogens that can be harmful or even totes kill you without any smell. If it smells off get rid of it, but that’s not completely reliable
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Sufficient unto the grain is the weevil thereof
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I only have one like left, so I have to decide between the lesser…
No, never mind.
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WWII c-rations are still somewhat edible:
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I think those rations have always been only somewhat edible…
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As one who works in the grocery store business I can tell you that expiration dates for pre-packaged foods are chosen for food quality rather than food safety. However most grocery stores, including mine, pull all items from their shelves based on that date. Now just imagine how much food is wasted by a big chain like Acme, Vons, or Whole Foods. 
Breaks my heart…
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CBC’s Marketplace did a show on that a few years back, looking at the dumpsters behind a Walmart. The amount of food thrown out was staggering.
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I’ll take it for $25. No no I mean you pay me $25 to take it away.
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or especially taste no weevil
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I’ve found that Colas like Coke or Pepsi taste off long before they go flat in the can or bottle. They get a weird taste a couple of months after the Best By date; even before if they are stored in a warm, bright environment. (Cool and dark or cold and dark seems to be the best way to store soda; but even then…)
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Horrible. We donate some but most ends up in the dumpster. They used to allow employees to take items home but that stopped . 
Makes no sense…
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USDA publishes a pretty good set of guidelines about best-by dates and sell-by dates: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/food-product-dating/food-product-dating
Some sell-by dates have nothing to do with quality or safety, they are strictly there for stores to use for inventory management/product rotation. The only product for which the best by date is for safety is baby formula, and that’s because of nutritional value and thickness of the product affecting ability to dispense via nipples.
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Ninjas.
The only reason I can see is capitalism. They would rather it rot in a dumpster or landfill than feed anyone for free. Like those animals that eat as much as they can, and then vomit on what’s left so nothing else can have it. I’m surprised they stop at simply putting it in the dumpster, instead of also pouring bleach over it.
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