Overdue food does not necessarily mean dangerous, according to nutritionists.

Jessie Pavlinac, a registered dietician at Oregon Health & Science University, said the pull date means quality, not safety. She said you can eat some foods long after the pull date.

Pavlinac recommended using the dates as a guideline: buy food by the date, so it will taste better and stay fresh longer at your house.

However, that food may have more shelf life than you think.

She said dried food, shelf-stable food and canned food can last for years. So can frozen food, such as chicken patties with an expiration date of 2005 that were purchased by FOX 12 at a local grocery store.

Perishable foods are a different story. Meat, milk, dairy and protein foods will go bad, but eggs can be safe for up to five weeks after the date.

Pavlinac said the date on the package isn't as important as how you handle the food after you buy it.

The amount of time spent shopping with refrigerated items in the shopping cart and the amount of time it takes to get them home are both factors in keeping the food safe. Four hours is the limit, she said.

She also said keeping refrigerated items below 40 degrees allows perishable foods to stay safe past the date. Some experts said meat can be good for one to five days past the date and dairy products can be good for 7-10 days past the date.

If you find it too difficult to keep track of every rule, Pavlinac had one line of advice: if it's outdated, don't buy it.