When arranging the kitchen cabinets and fridge, this is a common occurrence.
Upon further inspection of the food and its packaging, we see that its use-by date has long since passed.
Yikes! Regardless of how it seems, should it be discarded immediately?
To put it simply, "it depends." Since "best-by" and "sell-by" dates are indicative of food quality rather than food safety.
The USDA states that many goods are still OK to consume after they have passed their "best-by" or "sell-by" dates.
Except for infant formula, the FDA doesn't enforce these dates, so they're mostly used as a guide to when food will taste the best.