Cut Fruit Pieces

Look at the container, and smell it. If it looks or smells bad, don't buy it. The dates are essentially guidelines so that you don't keep apple slices around for 3 weeks and then complain when they make you sick.

I buy watermelon chunks in big clear plastic tubs. Watermelons are not a convenient food to store, so I find the cut up chunks quite convenient and delicious. You cn see watermelon passing freshness because it gets deeper pink and develops rounding on the ciut pieces. The "Sell by" date on a watermelon package usually has little to do with the peak freshness you want.

1I only buy the tub where the watermwelon chunks are deepest pink and no white showing

2All the cuts should be sharp and stand high

3There shouldnt be a lot of liquid in the bottom of the tub

I see your point,, I think.
There are no dates on fresh fruit in the produce aisle, it's select best as one can. When does this sliced fruit get selected? Is it selected at night on the basis of not going to sell on the fruit aisle, then dated on a standard sliced fruit basis? If so, you'd be getting stuff that you probably wouldn't buy to slice yourself. Hmmm?

I'm pretty sure those packages of fruit are bought by the store prepacked.