Most will just say oh what the heck, the expiration date is just a few days past so it should still be okay. So for the sake of not wasting food and being hungry, most will just eat these foods which are stamped beyond their “best before” dates.
Even though you can usually get away safe and healthy after eating most of these foods, especially those which are prepacked in boxes, there’s a cautionary note on a certain group of natural everyday foods which you should never eat once they expire.
These category of foods include certain raw meats, seafood, some dairy, and select fruits and vegetables, many which may become prone to bacteria soon after their “best before” dates.
So it becomes important to take notice of the foods which should never be eaten once they reach these warning dates.
Foods To Avoid Once They Expire
• Especially Alfalfa Sprouts – Those who eat alfalfa sprouts think they’re an extremely healthy wholesome food. But these sprouts, more that your usual garden variety leafy greens are known to spoil easy, and will then mutate and become rife with bacteria microbes quickly, this especially if you leave them out at room temperature for a couple days.
So if you’re at the health store and bring some home, know and track its expiry date. Eat them as soon as possible since expired sprouts can prove detrimental to your health.
• Some Mixed Greens – Beware the mixed greens such as arugula, baby spinach, and other seemingly healthy and harmless looking leafy vegetables. Know that they won’t keep that well once they pass a certain stage of freshness.
What can develop is wilting and a slimy coating which are the biggest signs. What then forms is bacteria and pathogens which can actively grow on your sandwich or salad, this especially if these greens happened to of made contact with contaminated water or poor processing during harvesting.
• Certain Fresh Berries – Most mixed greens and berries obviously won’t have expiry dates stamped on them. There is a way however on how to test whether certain berries such as blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries are close to expiring.
Once berries begin to spoil, they’ll lose their shape and color while getting moldy while breaking down quickly. They’ll begin developing a slimy watery surface which makes them prone to a form of fecal bacteria food poisoning known as Cyclospora.
• Most Deli Meats – What we often hear are the horror stories in the news about E. coli poisoning and Listeria, this when it comes to eating expired processed deli meats. Bacteria of this type is prevalent when it comes to prepackaged meats along with the freshly sliced deli variety from your butcher.
As a general rule, all deli meats should be consumed within the first few days after they’re purchased. Avoid and throw them out once they begin to smell sour or develop a slimy film.
• Avoid Raw Expired Eggs – It’s also not surprising that there’s a vast amount of reports regarding nasty bouts of food borne poisoning and illness that’s associated with eating expired eggs.
Once you eat eggs after their best before date stamped on the carton, especially when the yolk is still soft, even if it’s just a few days past, can prove to be a risky sorry experience. The worst is if you decide to eat them completely raw for some reason.
• Not So Fresh Seafood – Most seafood, such as raw or frozen shellfish of any type are easily prone to becoming contaminated with bacteria. This can occur right from the moment that they’re removed from the ocean, and especially if they’re not handled properly.
You should be especially concerned with fresh or frozen shrimp, this if you suspect faulty exposure, storage, or handling, or consuming them after their best before date.
• The Same With Oysters – Most wouldn’t dare slurp down fresh oysters from its shell with a splash of lemon. What’s common is that oysters can go bad at this or any stage. They already smell foul and slimy to most, which is also a sign that they’ve gone bad.
Eating bad oysters can cause a serious and at times fatal bloodstream infection known as V. vulnificus bacteria, this if they’re handled improperly or eaten past their expiry date.
• Still Tastes Like Chicken – We also hear about all the violent horror stories when it comes to eating spoiled chicken that’s gone bad, or chicken that’s undercooked.
It becomes particularly important to consume all chicken prior to its expiry date, and if you happen to freeze a pack of chicken breasts thinking to extend its life, then make sure that once you thaw them out, to cook it thoroughly, and eat immediately to avoid food poisoning such as E. coli.
• Ground Beef That’s Not Fully Cooked – It’s important to know where E. coli originates from, such as from animal protein once it’s made into ground beef. This particular bacteria is also known to linger in the intestines of the cattle.
What can result is those who eat infected raw meat becoming extremely ill, especially if the beef isn’t processed or handled properly. It’s always important to make sure that all ground beef is consumed prior to its expiry date, and always cooked completely until the juices become completely clear, this to avoid any various forms of food poisoning.
• Those Soft Cheeses – With hard cheeses such as cheddar, it’s often safe just to cut off the outer edges of the mold and then consume the remaining piece without incident.
However, when it comes to softer cheeses such as brie, beware since you may not be able to escape bacterial Listeria monocytogenes growth, which becomes common once it gets moldy or goes past it’s expiry date.