Best before dates are a really good idea if you want to reduce the number of food poisonings in a large population. Food is (statistically) very safe before the best before date, assuming proper storage. Most of the time it&#x27;s still safe well past that date, but you would dramatically increase the number of people who get sick.<p>It&#x27;s the same with pasteurized milk. Unpasteurized milk is mostly safe to drink, but occasionally you get really sick. In a large population the difference is noticeable.<p>Again the same with the much stricter cleanliness rules for restaurants and the like. Usually it&#x27;s safe to store prepared food without refrigeration for a day, restaurants mustn&#x27;t. It&#x27;s also mostly safe to cook on a dirty stove, restaurants mustn&#x27;t. The difference between your home kitchen and the restaurant is the number of people served.