Do not eat these three foods past their expiration date

Most people have come to know that you don’t necessarily have to throw food away just because a date on the packaging says so. A quick sniff can help you decide what to keep and what to throw away. But, this method does not work with all foods like these three, which could mess you up if you consume them after their expiration dates have elapsed.

Ground meat

Apart from cooking it well, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) advises that any ground meat – beef, pork, lamb or any other – should be eaten or frozen within two days of purchase. According to TheHealthy.com, the minced nature of such meat means that the bacteria, such as salmonella, that were originally on the surface, can easily mix with the rest of it, increasing the risk of getting food poisoning. If you have a weak immune system, eating expired ground pork in particular could cost you your life.

Soft cheeses

Unlike harder cheeses like gouda or cheddar which can last longer (about three to four weeks) in the fridge, softer variations like ricotta, cream cheese or goat cheese are much more susceptible to being contaminated with bacteria, according to Prevention.com. You should throw them away once the expiration date has passed or when you notice the first sign of them going bad. TheHealthy summarizes this golden rule as:

As a general rule of thumb, the softer the cheese, the shorter the shelf life, so two weeks max for cream cheese and one week for ricotta

Condiments

Just because spreads and sauces come in glass jars doesn’t mean they are foolproof against bacterial infection. Mustard can survive up to a year in the fridge, but you really should get rid of that opened jar of salsa after a month, or mayo after two months.

Barbeque sauce and ketchup should not be eaten after four and six months respectively. Jessica Crandall, RDN, national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics said:

Once you’ve opened the lid, that safety seal is broken, and you should be using that condiment in a timely fashion.

Other foods whose expiration dates you ought to take seriously include fish, raw meat, milk and egg substitutes.