How careful are you with this? I have a lot of food that will expire this week (chicken salad, a prepared chicken dish from Trader Joe's) and a few other things.

I don't want to get food poisoning and risk vomiting and doing something to the band... however, I also don't want to waste food.

Any thoughts?

it really depends on the product and what the stamp is itself. sometimes food (non-meat) is ok past the date - and what is the date - a sell by, or expiration? but with animal flesh, such as chicken, you have to be more careful. better safe than sorry - either eat it before it expires or throw it out... i don't like to waste either (and i'm a vegetarian, so i don't eat meat anyway) but with meat you have to be even more careful.