We have the okay to eat certain foods past their best-before dates, but there is a need for caution with others. Prof. Keith Warriner, Food Science, was interviewed on CTV on food quality and safety. Warriner said some foods, such as crackers, hard cheeses and baked goods, may be consumed after their best-before dates. But those dates are important guides for items such as deli meats and seafood, which can harbour pathogens. Warriner, who has published more than 100 papers, book chapters, patents and abstracts in the past 15 years, studies food safety in meat processing and fresh-cut sectors.