Question I am the personal assistant for our company, so I'm in charge of the
groceries. We are trying to clean out our fridge and need some advice.
How long is meat and cheese good for after purchased from the deli section
of a grocery store? We always purchase some type of turkey and a variety of
different cheeses (i.e. american, provolone, muenster, swiss, etc.)
Also, how long are condiments good for (i.e. barbecue sauce, mayonnaise,
mustard, salad dressings, etc)? We have a lot of older sauces in the fridge,
but the expiration dates have not yet been reached (but they are still REALLY
old; we've had them for a very long time).
We recently purchased some reusable expiration tabs, so I want to put the
appropriate dates (not the suggested dates on the package) on the bottles
and meats.
Thanks in advance for your advice!
Answer I get quite a few questions asking about how long to keep things that have been lurking in the refrigerator.
The main downfall of keeping things too long is spoilage, this makes things taste bad, and look unappetizing, but won't make you sick.
Meat purchased form the deli should be used within the week once opened. After 5-7 days spoilage organisms can make things slimy and smell bad. Cheese will keep longer, 2-3 weeks, unless it is very soft cheese. Condiments range anywhere from 2 months to 2 years. Most are either too acidic or sweet for organisms to grow in them.
Here's a good resource for determining the recommended storage time for a wide range of food items:
