If a food product has reached the listed best before date, or if the date has even passed, that does not mean it's no longer good for consumption.
    
Janelle Botterill, Regional Manager of Nutrition and Food Services for Southern Health-Santé Sud, says when foods have a best before date, it is there to tell you that those foods would be fresh and nutritious, and appropriate quality, within 90 days or less.

Even though products are still safe to eat for a period after its best before date has passed, Botterill says she would still encourage people to use food before.  She says things like quality, nutrition, texture and taste are more guaranteed then.

Botterill says a good rule of thumb to follow is, "if in doubt, throw it out."

Botterill explains there is a difference between a best before date, and an expiration date.  "They use an expiration date if it's on supplements, or a meal replacement, or infant formulas.  So they would use a different marking."  Botterill says an expiration date means you should throw it out after the listed date, because the nutritional information on the packaging is no longer guaranteed.