Know the difference between a best by date and an expiration date. Best by dates mean they are peak until that date, then loose color, flavor, taste, nutrition, effectiveness, etc slowly over time after that. Expirations mean they can go rancid or bad in some way, or lose all effectiveness by that date (or shortly after) and in many cases the expiration is due to the container not the product. The container can become compromised after that amount of time, leaching toxins into the product. This is an issue with certain acidic canned foods and things stored in plastic. Rule in my house, if it's a best buy date we eat until it smells or tastes weird, if it's an expiration it gets tossed.