Most foods have an expiration date for a reason, and many do pose legitimate health risks if eaten past the point where they are fresh. Salad greens, for example, can quickly become repositories for bacteria once they begin to wilt and become slimy. However, there are some foods that absolutely should never be eaten after the expiration date at the risk of serious health consequences. Among the food items you absolutely should never eat past its expiration date:
Deli Meat
Whether you’re shopping at a questionable corner deli or eyeing that package of meat you bought a week ago that might still be OK to eat, consider that processed deli meats are great hosts for E. coli and Listeria bacteria. E. coli can cause diarrhea and abdominal cramping, and illness from the disease typically will resolve itself within about a week. Listeria, on the other hand, is more dangerous: complications from a listeria infection, according to the Mayo Clinic, can include a blood infection (septicemia) or meningitis, which is an infection of the membranes and fluid that surround the brain.
Deli meats ideally should be consumed within three days of purchase but should never be eaten when the meat is more than a week past purchase or beyond the expiration date on the package, whichever is earlier.
Eggs
Because they have so much nutritional value, are versatile and are fairly inexpensive, eggs are popular sources of protein. But perhaps because of their popularity or because of the risks of eating old eggs, they are one of the most common sources of foodborne illness in the United States. Eating eggs that are past their expiration date can lead to an unpleasant, painful and embarrassing array of gastrointestinal symptoms, which range from gas and bloating to diarrhea, but it can also lead to food poisoning.
Egg packing companies are required to provide an expiration date on every carton but must also provide consumers a date on which the eggs were packed. Refrigerated eggs can be eaten safely for up to four weeks from the date that they were packed but should be discarded after the expiration date to minimize risks of becoming ill.
Oysters
Raw oysters have been linked to health risks, but even properly cooked oysters, if eaten past their expiration date, can be deadly. That’s because oysters build up the bacteria V. vulnificus, which causes a range of serious complications. Healthy patients, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), can expect to experience vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramping, but in some cases, this type of bacteria can cause poisoning of the bloodstream, which leads to septic shock, characterized by fever, chills, low blood pressure and blistering lesions. This condition is difficult to treat and carries a bad prognosis: About 50 percent of cases are fatal.
If this bacteria sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the same bacteria that causes skin infections when open wounds are exposed to warm seawater, which can lead to an outbreak of flesh-eating bacteria.
Oysters should be eaten within two days if refrigerated or should be discarded.
Shrimp and Other Shellfish
Shrimp and other shellfish need to be handled carefully to ensure that they don’t give you food poisoning, and they should never be kept past the expiration date. These seafood proteins can build up bacteria quickly -- so quickly, in fact, that if you reach for a cocktail shrimp at your next get-together and find that it’s no longer cold, it’s not safe to eat. If you develop food poisoning as a result of eating bad shellfish, the symptoms are ugly and painful. You may develop a headache or typical gastrointestinal symptoms or you might develop dizziness, paralysis, numbness in the lips, tongue or limbs, and the toxins that have built up in the shrimp may make swallowing or talking difficult.
How long your shrimp will last fresh in the fridge will depend on a number factors, including the sell-by date and whether you’ve stored it in olive oil and lemon juice, which can add some extra time to your expiration date. Typically, though, fresh shrimp and shellfish should be consumed within a few days of purchase and should be kept no longer than a week before being tossed.
Fresh shrimp should have a very mild smell, so if you purchase strong, fishy-smelling shrimp at the store, don’t risk eating something that may have been mishandled or expired before it got to your house.
Poultry
Poultry products -- perhaps most commonly chicken -- are incredibly risky foods to eat past their expiration dates. Even fresh chicken puts you at a risk for developing infections and food poisoning, most commonly from salmonella bacteria, if not handled properly, and can be a serious risk for cross-contamination in a kitchen. Once the chicken is past its expiration date, you’re exposing yourself and your family to these foodborne illnesses even if you cook your chicken all the way through and handle it carefully and according to all instructions.
If you purchase fresh chicken at the store, it can be safely stored in the refrigerator for about two days, even if the sell-by date passes. Chicken that has been frozen can be stored indefinitely if kept at a constant temperature around zero. If thawed in the refrigerator, chicken can be stored in the fridge for an additional two days before being considered dumpster-worthy.