These 3 Foods Aren’t Safe To Eat After They Expire, According to a Food Safety Expert

I’ve bought many a package of meat with a specific dinner plan in mind, only for the plan to go sideways. I usually play it safe, but a day or two later I find myself contemplating whether I should still cook it or whether I’ve waited too long. Nobody wants to throw away perfectly good food, but a package date or a quick sniff doesn’t always settle the safety question: Is the meat still safe to eat or will it make my family sick?

I reached out to registered dietitian and food scientist Jennifer Pallian to ask which foods deserve extra care. It’s helpful to know that “sell by” dates help stores manage inventory, and “best if used by” dates mostly refer to quality. But Pallian says storage time and temperature matter more than the printed date.

“A food can look, smell, and taste fine and still carry Listeria, Salmonella, or E. coli,” she says. Because food poisoning is never worth the risk, here are three foods to watch most closely.

1. Deli Meat

Listeria can continue grow on deli meat in the fridge. Cold slows most bacteria down, but not this one, she says. An unopened package of lunch meat can stay refrigerated for up to two weeks, but once it’s opened—or if you buy it sliced at the deli counter—that window shrinks to three to five days.

Obvious signs of spoilage include a slimy or sticky coating, mold, or an off smell. But don’t wait for those signs to toss it once the storage window has passed. And for higher-risk individuals, including pregnant people, adults 65 and older, and anyone with a weakened immune system, the CDC recommends heating deli meat to 165°F (74°C) before eating.

​2. Ground Beef

Ground beef spoils faster than you may expect. That’s because grinding distributes bacteria throughout the meat. As a result, Pallian says to cook or freeze raw ground beef within one to two days of buying it, even if the package date is later. When preparing it, she recommends cooking to a temperature of 160°F (71°C).

A brown center with a red exterior is usually the result of limited oxygen, not spoilage. ​A sticky or slimy texture and a sour smell, on the other hand, mean it’s time to toss. The absence of those signs doesn’t extend the window. If it’s been refrigerated beyond the two-day timeframe, discard it regardless of appearance.

​3. Pre-Cut Melon

Cutting into the rind damages the melon’s only protective barrier, exposing it to potential contamination. Pallian also points out that cut melon’s moist, low-acid flesh creates favorable conditions for bacteria to grow. She advises only buying pre-cut melon when it’s refrigerated (or displayed on ice), and keeping it cold, below 40°F (4°C).

The CDC advises discarding cut melon that’s been in the fridge for a week. So if you don’t know when the store cut it, aim to finish it sooner. If you see mold, sliminess, or a fermented smell, or if it’s been out for more than two hours (or one hour above 90°F (32°C), the time to toss it is now.

Read the original article on Simply Recipes