With some exceptions, foods in the UK have to carry either a "Use By" or a "Best Before" date.

Foods with a "Best Before" date will still be safe to eat after that date, but there is no guarantee of their quality - they may have gone stale but you are unlikely to make yourself ill.

If you eat foods with a "Use By" date after that date, there is an increasing risk of microbiological contamination and hence of food poisoning. At home we will often eat foods just out of their Use by date after giving them a good sniff and checking for signs of "furring". At home you decide your own level of risk. However if you are working in a care home, the risk is not worth taking. If you dish up foods out of their use by date and any residents come down with food poisoning, you are in serious trouble. Certainly in the UK you risk being prosecuted under the Food Safety Act.