sell by dates

[Mortblanc]

Most of those numbers are made up on the spot for advertising purposes.

If you come up with a number, even a made up number, it sounds like you did some research and transfers the burden of proof to the challenger to disprove your number.

The only possible way anyone could come up with a number is to take their own wastage and multiply it by population size. That means nothing.

Throwing away food you bought before the date was out is simply poor meal planning.

Buying out of date food is a choice.

Eating out of date food in a survival situation is a decision to be made on the spot based on the condition of the food in question.