Foods With Expiration Dates You Should Never Ignore

Sometimes, we come across foods that have passed their expiration date. And if you’re hungry, you might consider looking past the expiration date because it looks perfectly edible. While there are some exceptions to expiration dates on food, sometimes it’s best to just throw it away.  Lovefood, a food platform, compiled a list of foods with expiration dates you should never ignore.

"As a general rule, best by, best before and best before end dates all relate to quality assurance, suggesting when the food will be at its peak, rather than being indicators of food safety," they said. They did point out that in the U.S. product dating is not required by federal law (apart from on baby formula) and the dates on packaging are not an indicator of product safety. But ultimately, if the food looks or smells bad or has an odd texture or color, treat it with caution regardless of the date displayed on the product.

Regarding expiration dates, you shouldn’t ignore condiments. Many of us have done it, pulled a jar of mustard or bottle of mayonnaise out of the fridge that's been there longer than we remember. "While it may be tempting to slather said condiment on your sandwich regardless, it's worth noting that once a jar or bottle is opened, bacteria are effectively invited in," they pointed out.

Also highlighted was that once opened, mustard will last for up to a year in the fridge. But mayonnaise should be consumed or discarded after two months. Meanwhile, ketchup will often start to go bad after six months, even when stored in the fridge.

Many people believe that cooking oil stays good forever. However, they mention that on average, most cooking oils will last for six months once opened, and potentially longer if stored away from light and heat. Oil that is past its date will develop a rancid, bitter smell and taste, which could find its way into your food.

Also mentioned on their list is soft cheese. They said that if you purchase undated soft cheese from a deli, for example, consume it within one or two weeks. If it smells bad or has black or green on it, then it's time to toss it.

Take a look at the complete list of foods with expiration dates you should never ignore here.

A new Consumer Reports study has ranked the riskiest foods. They analyzed data from the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Agriculture between 2017 and 2022. Their researchers focused on "widely consumed foods" that had recalls over a specific duration of time.

According to Consumers Reports, the CDC estimates that 48 million people each year fall ill from salmonella, listeria, E. coli, or other bacteria or viruses in food. They said most recover on their own after a few days. But about 130,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die from foodborne illnesses yearly.

Some of the foods that are ranked at the top of the list include bagged salads, poultry products, and deli meats. The top five are leafy greens, deli cheese and meat, ground beef, onions, and poultry. Bagged salads and other leafy greens ranked number one on the list. They found 50 different recalls linked to them since 2017. Also, it has the most caused deaths. Last on the list at number ten is flour. Unlike leafy greens, flour has had zero total deaths.

"We aren’t saying people need to avoid these foods entirely," says Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at CR, who led the analysis. "After all, these foods are all usually safe, and many of them are in fact important parts of a healthy diet." Ronholm continued to say in Consumers Report that the list underscores the "importance of following best food safety practices with all of your foods, including knowing how to track, and respond, to food recalls when they happen." Read the entire list, and learn how you can reduce your risk at Consumer Reports.