I’m a bit wary of drinking from a bottle that’s been in the fridge for months, but I haven’t yet keeled over from bad kefir.
But that apparently wasn’t an issue in this case, because whatever sort of cartridge was used, it successfully printed the label that DesertDog read.
Back to the OP, the only time when you should ever bother to pay any attention to a use-by date, is if you’re selecting between two items in the grocery store. In that case, yeah, you might as well buy the one with the later date. Other than that, though, if it smells, looks, and tastes right, it’s almost certainly safe, even if the date has passed, and if it smells, looks, or tastes wrong, then don’t eat it, even if there’s still plenty of time before the date (it’s probably still safe even in that case, but that’s where you get into better-safe-than-sorry territory).
It was an ink-jet printed label on the end of a can of chili.
I’ve never noticed a use by date on an ink cartridge, but I’ve had plenty of them dry out here in Arizona. It’s why I switched to a laser printer.
I don’t believe I’ve ever looked at a use-by date in cheese. Is it moldy (in a way it shouldn’t be)? Is it all dried up? If not, it good to go. (And if only part of the block is bad, I’ll cut that off. I’ve developed a good sense of how far the mold extends beyond the visible part.) Actually, I buy a lot of cheese from the local cheese monger, and those don’t have a date on the package.
I’m the family food examiner, as I have a better sense of smell and better near vision than my husband. “No, that’s not just congealed fat, that’s mold on that leftover chicken. Toss it.”
Cheeses vary. I got back from holiday at the weekend and was surprised to find that a packet of mozzarella (the kind that comes in a plastic bag full of brine) in the fridge had swollen up fit to burst, and it was only three weeks past its use-by date.
A fresh cheese like fresh mozzarella is obviously going to have a shorter shelf life than an aged cheese. That’s why aging was invented.
Aging is more for the hard cheeses like cheddar and gouda and swiss and parmesan anyway. I’d not seek out elder bries or epoisses or ricottas or mozarellas.
As it happens Époisses is one of our favorites. We found an old wheel in the back of the cheese drawer, yet unopened. It was dried out and shrunken. Not its absolutely peak condition, but it was edible. I agree, though, that I wouldn’t seek out Époisses in that condition. I would add it to a fromage fort, though.
And are you able to find Époisses that don’t reek of ammonia? It’s rare for me to find one in the US that does not. 
The other evening I took a chunk of monterey jack cheese* into the family room to snack on while watching football on TV, setting aside an edge that had a couple of moldy spots. I made the mistake of not keeping a close eye on Pluto the field spaniel, who made a lightning pass at the table and snagged the moldy part.
He seems to be fine. For the Thursday night game I’ll test him on aging kefir and moldy strawberries.
*yes, I am a cheese gourmet.
Most varieties of visible food mold are mostly harmless. The problem is that it’s very difficult to distinguish the harmless ones from the harmful ones. If your dog didn’t get sick from the mold, then most likely, you wouldn’t have, either. But either of you might have gotten sick.
Thank you, Mr. Moldy Answer Man! 
:smack:
I make a living buying and selling food items close to, or past the best by date.
Think about it like this:
You are Yoplait, and you know your product has a shelf life of 90 days. Are you going to risk your brand with someone buy your product from the store, and it’s bad already? No, your going to put 30-45 days on the date.
Beyond that, yogurt is an active culture, so it takes an exceptionally long time to go bad, we routinely sell yogurt 30 days past the date.
Best by and Use by are suggested dates for best quality, they are in no way a safety date.
Eat it up
Yes, but a lot of the molds that aren’t harmful still taste unpleasant. I avoid all unexpected mold for quality reasons, not because I’m worried about my health.
(although… when I’ve seen mold on meat I’ve been worried about my health – and I won’t just cut off the moldy part, the whole thing goes in the trash.)
Thanks again for all the helpful comments.
I’m still fine - and now have some freshly-bought yoghurt.
I do try not to waste food - it’s a little trickier when you’re single and have no pet. 
Also I am in the UK. I just wanted to support Obama in his quest to help Americans without health insurance. 
So it’s, er, in date? Dec 1st 2019 is months away!
Let me just say that diet coke that is over a year old is undrinkable.
That’s because the artificial sweetener breaks down. I don’t think it’s actually dangerous, just disgusting.
I don’t drink coffee myself, but keep some for guests (in a sealed jar.)
I recently made a cup for a friend and he said it was fine. The coffee granules were 15 years old! :eek: