I have been eating expired protein for years. Anywhere I can find dated rtd's, mrp's, or whey, I buy it. I bought 10 5lb jugs of eas whey for $50 a few months back. I've never had any problems with it. I'm pretty sure the FDA requires the expiration date. I'm not big on bars, but those are $5 a box at vitaglo.com in the closeout section. Anytime I go on vacation, I order a bunch. If I wasn't such a cheap ass though, I'd probably order from protein factory. GL