how important is the sell by date on meat?

Answer 1

I only ever eat it a day or 2 (three days max) past the best before date.
Check the smell and colour of the meat before cooking, and if in any doubt don't use it.

Answer 2

The sell by date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.

Except for "use-by" dates, product dates don't always refer to home storage and use after purchase. But even if the date expires during home storage, a product should be safe, wholesome and of good quality -- if handled properly and kept at 40° F or below. See the accompanying refrigerator charts for storage times of dated products.

Foods can develop an off odor, flavor or appearance due to spoilage bacteria. If a food has developed such characteristics, you should not use it for quality reasons.

If foods are mishandled, however, foodborne bacteria can grow and cause foodborne illness -- before or after the date on the package. For example, if hot dogs are taken to a picnic and left out several hours, they wouldn't be safe if used thereafter, even if the date hasn't expired.

Other examples of potential mishandling are products that have been: defrosted at room temperature more than two hours; cross contaminated; or handled by people who don't use proper sanitary practices. Make sure to follow the handling and preparation instructions on the label to ensure top quality and safety.

Answer 3

its really important to abide by the sell by date on meats because after the specified period of time has elasped ,there are some chemical processes that proceeds to occur in the meat and most of this processes can be lethal to human health . The Food Standards Agency is to investigate claims that fresh meat being sold in supermarkets may be up to 20 days old. An investigation by Which? magazine has found that poultry is being repackaged with new use-by dates and sold as fresh.

Answer 4

If you buy things that are near the sell by date then use them within three days of date, but if purchased as part of shopping, and frozen straight away, it does not matter about the date , and can be kept up to six moths safely. Will deteriorate in flavour only after that date when defrosted. The reason being you have frozen all ingredients which have been suspended in time at the same best way they were bought in.

Answer 5

Dates are a lot of nonsense, as long as meat was fresh when it was packed it will last at least a week after sell by date , and probably tastes better than if you used it straight away. Common sense should prevail....(obviously if it smells really bad and looks green do not use it)

How did they cope before sell by dates and use by dates?????

Answer 6

Very important, as most meat you buy prepacked in supermarkets is not hung in the traditional manner and has probably been kept at a variety of temperatures in its journey from abbatoir to neat prepacks on your supermarkets shelves thus keeping it in conditions ripe for microorganisms to start breaking down the meat.
When you get it home unless freezing , take it out of its warpper , wash pat dry with kitchen paper and keep covered with foil or greaseproof in fridge. Use within 2 days of buying or by sell by date

Answer 7

It is very important as grocery stores will put food color in the meat to make it look fresher. You can't tell by looking at the meat so best look at the date.

Answer 8

The sell by date is for the shops reference, the use by date is what you should be concerned with

Answer 9

If it was kept cold then it's okay a day or two after the date. If it looks or smells funny then I wouldn't attempt eating it.
It also depends on the type of meat.

Answer 10

Packaging dates are a pretty good guideline, but I also tend to use my nose....

Some foods, such a beef, are better when they've had a chance to mature, often well past their 'sell by' date. I always buy beef cheap, when it's best before date is about to run out. The longer you leave it the better it is....!