If you haven’t checked the expiration dates of your food lately, it might be time to take a look inside your refrigerator. That’s because a handful of common household condiments can become dangerous after their expiration dates. Aside from an unpleasant taste and potentially foul odor, condiments that have been opened and sitting in your refrigerator for too long can cause illness. These are the most threatening condiments to consider going through before you accidentally make a sandwich with an expired condiment.
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| Due to their heavy raw egg bases, allowing mayonnaise or any mayo-based product to sit at room temperature or remain in your fridge longer than the given expiration date increases the risk of contracting a foodborne illness, such as Salmonella. Unopened mayo has a shelf life of around 3-4 months and should never be frozen. |
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| Like mayonnaise, salad dressings have a life of up to two months after the seal has been broken. If a salad dressing smells off, that’s also a sign that it’s past its prime. Homemade salad dressings will spoil faster than store-bought varieties. |
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| Many store-bought sauces like ketchup, barbecue sauce and cocktail sauce are made with sugary preservatives that help give them a longer shelf life. Unopened sugary sauce products can last up to 12 months in your pantry, but once opened, they have about 6 months before they start becoming moldy. Keep and eye (and nose) out for discoloration, odd smells, and a fuzzy-like mold growth. |
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| A variety of condiments in your refrigerator are likely made with some variation of vinegar. High-vinegar-content sauces, including mustard and Worcestershire sauce, can last up to 3 years in the pantry, but only about 12 months once the seal is broken and you've begun refrigerating. Before using, be sure to monitor odd smells and tastes as you would with any other condiment. |
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| Like vinegar-based condiments, soy sauce has a longer shelf life than other common go-to sauces. Unopened, soy sauce can be safe to have on stock for up to 3 years. Once soy sauce has been opened, that 3 years drops to one year. Beware of stale smells, as there’s still a chance for bacteria to grow, regardless of the salty base. |
