"once opened use within......."

[Bellagio]

" once opened use within X amount of days"
Lately I have noticed this appearing on almost everything I buy.
Just curious to know how much attention you pay to it? Do people generally ignore it and use said item up until the best before/use by date?
Personally I would use for example pate, hoummus or ham up within the recommended amount of days then chuck it even if it was still before the use by date.
However I will use other things like cheese, jams/spreads/sauces right up until the use by/bb date quite happily.
I've recently noticed it even appears on milk! Telling me to use it up within 3 days!! Surely no one does this right?
Interested to hear any thoughts?

I tend to go by how things smell and mostly pay no heed to the dates.

ignore it and sniff/look (in general)

agree with others - ignore labels, use the power of sight and smell- tends to be pretty foolproof.

It's the manufacturers covering themselves. But it also means people chuck a lot of perfectly good food.

There are many things that will sail on past the use-by date with no problems at all.

I tend to check if it says 'packaged in an inert atmosphere' on the packet, a lot of meat/ham stuff says this.

If it does, then when you let air into it by opening it, it will go off much quicker than they've allowed for in the sell-by date.

Thanks everyone, I think i'm just lacking in confidence I my own ability to judge whether something is off or not!
Heathen- that's especially useful, I've noticed that written and wondered what it meant, thanks

I pay little attention to these except to have a laugh at the chutney jars which say use within 2 weeks several months after we have opened them. As for milk, ham etc I hardly ever look at the dates and go by sight/smell.

I take no notice, if it smells and looks ok I'll taste a bit, if that's ok we eat it.