5 Foods You Should Throw Out After Its Expiration Date

For years I have had a love affair....with Velveeta! Yes, that lovely cheese that when melted tastes "oh so yummy" Queso sauce with can of Rotel mixed in is my favorite with Tostitos chips. If you live for Velveeta as much as I do, you were probably quite disheartened to see the price of a two pound box go up in price a few months back from $5.49 to $6.99. YIKES, that hurts! So when my local grocery store had Velveeta on sale for $4.99 for the two pound box, I grabbed a three boxes. I never turn down a good sale. When unloading my stash of Velveeta at home I noticed the expiration date on the side of the package showed it expired a week later.

So that explains why the grocery store was selling it so cheap, to unload the stuff. I became slightly concerned, thinking I just blew $15.00. A friend of mine who makes fun of my Velveeta addiction told me not to worry, he said Velveeta is like a cockroach, you just can't kill it.

Sure enough after some on-line research, I found out you CAN use Velveeta well after it's expiration date. Like any other cheese, just cut off the bad part. If you wrap it really well so no air gets to it, it should last for months.

So this got me looking hard and long at expiration dates of stuff I've had stored in my cupboards and fridge. recently I cleaned house and tossed out stuff that was no good past it's expiration date.

Here are the Top 5 Things you should never use past it's expiration date according to Comcast News

1. Eggs: The chances of an egg being contaminated inside the shell are very low (about five thousandths of one percent) but egg shells commonly carry bacteria. If your eggs have passed their expiration date it’s best to either toss them or use them for hard-boiled eggs.

 

2. Ground Meat: Ground meats are generally more dangerous to consume post-expiration date when compared with whole cuts of meat; ground meats are handled more (including the grinding process) and may include meat from many different slaughterhouses – all this adds up to more opportunities for contamination.

 

3. Soft Cheeses: Soft cheeses (especially those made with unpasteurized milk) can be contaminated with listeria. With soft cheeses it’s difficult to effectively trim away any moldy or spoiled portions. If soft cheeses like queso fresco, feta, brie, or blue are past their expiration date it’s best to throw them away.

 

4. Alfalfa Sprouts: Alfalfa sprouts can be dangerous to consume after their expiration date as well. The sprouts need a warm, moist environment to grow, the same environment bacteria needs to thrive. Since spouts are most often eaten raw, it’s difficult to eliminate any bacteria that may be present.

 

5. Raw Chicken: Consumer Reports tested 300 store-bought chicken breasts for bacteria; 97% of the chicken breasts were contaminated — not surprising given the conditions under which chickens are raised, and rising nationwide concerns about antibiotic-resistant bacteria. If your chicken is past its expiration date, toss it — it’s not worth the risk.

 

I would also suggest not to eat deli meat after it's expiration date. I had a bad experience with that recently. Just sayin'!

Back to my Velveeta, I will use it , until it grows a beard or growls at me when I go to grab it out of the fridge.