The main difference is that many of the items at the St-Zotique, Que., shop are either expired or nearing its expiration date.

“Best before doesn’t necessarily mean bad after,” said Sylvain Charlebois,  director of Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. “You can safely consume a product, if unopened, of course, if you’re not compromising the safety or freshness of the product. There’s just no reason for you to fear any of these products.”