McCormick Spice warns all customers. Please, check the labels on all your spices

With the change of season, it may be time to clean out the kitchen pantry and throw anything expired out.

This is the time for spring cleaning, and the kitchen pantry is a good place to start. Oftentimes there will be things in the back of the cupboard that died years ago, and it's always a good idea to throw them out, lest they be accidentally used.

As reported by Shared, McCormick Spices has also issued a reminder to clean out the spice rack.

McCormick has issued a warning to their customers to check through their spice rack for any old products, and has especially requested that spices that read "Baltimore, MD" be thrown out.

The reason for this is that McCormick moved their factories to Hunt Valley, Maryland, 25 years ago already. This means that anything that still reads "Baltimore" was made two and a half decades ago.

Another giveaway is that McCormick makes their black pepper in old-fashioned metal tins today, and if the pepper in the back of the cupboard is in anything else it's probably celebrated a few birthdays already.

Although many assume spices don't expire, this is not really the case. While old spices aren't really likely to make one sick, they do lose their potency and flavor after some time.

As a rule of averages, spices should be replaced every three years or so.

Herbs and other seasoning blends should probably replaced a bit sooner, closer to the two-year mark, while whole spices like cinnamon could probably last about four.

McCormick suggests checking spices for a strong aroma and taste, and a vibrant color to make sure they are still fulfilling their purpose.

There is also a "best by" date on all bottles that could serve as an estimate of the freshness of the spice, to be used at each individual's discretion.

While it's still acceptable to gloss over the best by date with spices, it is not safe to do so with some other foods, such as meat, dairy, baby food, medicines, and meal replacements.