If you have any of these 10 things in your fridge, throw them out immediately

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You're probably worried about organization in several areas of your kitchen, including your cluttered counters and drawers. But have you given your refrigerator a good cleaning lately? A cluttered refrigerator is problematic for a number of reasons, including double-buying and becoming a breeding ground for mold and bacteria.

While keeping your fridge stocked and cooking enough food to last a few days can save time, leaving some foods out for too long can be potentially dangerous. Some products that need to be thrown away are obvious because they show obvious signs like mold. But others can harbor bacteria that you can't see, taste, or smell.

Here are some of them:

1. Food leftovers from more than 4–5 days

Don't keep leftovers from a meal for more than four days. Listeria bacteria can be present in leftover food. Unlike mold, which is easy to spot, listeria can grow even when you can't see or smell it.

In addition, you will free up space in the refrigerator. It is also a good idea to label leftover food with the contents and date of preparation.

2. Open jars of sauces

Once you open a packaged sauce, the expiration date that applies to an unopened jar is no longer valid.

Visible mold is an indication that the sauce has gone bad, but be aware that unseen bacteria can grow inside the jar, especially if you repeatedly spoon inside, introducing air. Most opened jars are best treated as products that should be used within a week or two, depending on the food.

3. Expired sauces

Throw away any sauces that are moldy or past their expiration date. When sauces are past their expiration date, they are rarely used; throwing them away frees up refrigerator door shelves, which prevents double purchases and encourages more thoughtful shopping.

Go through the sauce bottles one by one and check for expiration dates, as well as signs of mold. When mold appears on the surface of a sauce, the entire contents are likely contaminated due to the spread of microscopic roots.

4. Products purchased for a special recipe

Another category of things that are often found in the refrigerator are products that we buy for a specific recipe. If you've used it once and never touched it again, it's time to get rid of it.

Whether it's herbs you have no other use for or a small amount of an ingredient left over, follow the advice above and get rid of them. Being able to see what you have and only keep things you know you'll use is essential.

5. Food ordered from abroad

Ordered food should be thrown away if it has not been consumed within three days, as it has already been in the temperature danger zone before being put into the refrigerator. 

6. Cooked rice, cereals and pasta older than 4 days

Many people think that cooked rice is such a simple food that it should last a long time in the refrigerator, but on the contrary! It is recommended to throw it away after three to four days, or store it in the freezer if you know you will not use it within this time frame.

The same goes for cooked cereals and pasta. These cooked foods can become unsafe and contaminated with the Bacillus cereus toxin, which is not destroyed by reheating.

7. Processed meats 

Processed meats and sausages are also very susceptible to listeria contamination, so they should be consumed within four to five days. Check the meat drawer and throw away anything that has been out of date, has a slimy texture, smells bad, has changed color, or is past the five-day expiration date.

8. Soft cheeses that show signs of mold

Soft cheeses like cream cheese, mozzarella, and ricotta hold moisture, so mold and bacteria grow quickly in them. If you see even the slightest sign of mold on these cheeses, throw them away immediately. You should throw away the entire product, not just the moldy part!

9. Seafood that has been sitting for days

For the sake of efficiency or meal prep, people often buy fish or seafood and then leave it in the refrigerator for days. Not only can it develop a strong odor that makes the entire refrigerator stink, but eating it after a few days can make you sick. Fresh seafood should be cooked the same day or, at most, the next day.

10. Expired milk

If you have an expired container of milk in the fridge, throw it away immediately, whether it's been opened or not. Dairy products can be unsafe even before there are visible signs like a sour smell.