When does ham become lethal?

[Mr Badger]

I found half a packet of ham hiding in the back of my fridge. I had opened it about a month earlier and it was weeks past the use by date so I threw it out. However it looked and smelled absolutely fine, which got me thinking about whether cooked/cured meat products really need to be used within a few days or is the guidance perhaps a tad too cautious?

Old school aged hams used to hang around for years!

 

[Mr Badger]

If it was weeks past its use by date I seriously doubt it smelled or looked fine.

That is pretty much the whole point of this thread. If I didn't know how old it was I wouldn't have thought twice about eating it.