Expiry Dates

Apparently i am too obsessed with expiry dates. My Mum seems to think that an expiry date means nothing, if the food still holds its shape it's okay. I disagree.

I've done a bit of research into this subject a.k.a typing it in to Wikipedia and found out the following:

Expiry dates may also be known use by, display until and sell buy. All meaning the products cannot be sold after this date because they are no longer at best quality and have expired shelf life.

Now then, im not obsessed so much that i wont eat something after the expiration date, if it's a couple days i can cope, but months/years...no. I won't eat expired food for obvious reasons, taste and health. The argument last night however, was over medicinal expiration. I simply informed my mother the anticeptic cream was about 1 year over it's expiry date so probably wouldn't be as effective. I knew this because i'd had previous experience using expired paracetamol and anticeptic cream which hadn't worked. Once i used in date products it worked. This was my defence and proof that expiry dates are there for reason. She responded with 'it'll be fine, your too obsessed with the dates of things. They only put these dates on to make people like you use them faster an go buy more'.

Now even though this is a good business strategy, i think it's far from the truth. Whilst i agree that an expiry date doesn't necessarily mean the product is unusable, i also think expiration dates are legally there for a reason. If they did not exist people would probably get pretty ill. Expiry dates aren't just decorative digits, they save lives... This post is dedicated to my Mum.