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.