If anything it's more of a quality control thing.

It's the difference between "I bought frozen peas that expire in 6 months and they're all freezer burned - I want a refund!" And "the frozen peas I forgot about that expired 2 years ago are freezer burned - I want a refund!" One of them is more likely to get their money back than the other.

Also the quality of certain canned foods deteriorates after a time. Some things get mushy or the color changes weirdly that make it unappetizing, so dates can be a good reference. That said, I've been utilizing food banks for the last 25+ years. Expiration dates don't scare me, but they do inform.