If you blindly shove anything into your basket then expect to get some stuff that's not quite as fresh as you would like. If you see any scenes of open markets the shoppers invariably inspect the goods they buy. I do the same in supermarkets.
That's right naomi - I don't see dates being removed from milk at all - the bottles are capped and often sealed as well. I don't think the shops would take kindly to you opening the bottles & sniffing the contents.