|
Meat & Poultry Storage
|
Recommended Shelf Life
A number of key factors determine the shelf life of a product after opening:
- The temperature at which a product will be stored
- How the product will be stored (sliced, vacuum packed, aerobic package, etc)
|
|
|
Storage of Fresh or Uncooked Products
|
Storage of Fresh or Uncooked Products
| Product | Storage Times After Purchase |
| Poultry | 1 or 2 days |
| Beef, veal and lamb | 3 to 5 days |
| Ground meat and ground poultry | 1 or 2 days |
| Fresh variety meats (liver, tongue, brain, kidneys, heart, chitterlings) | 1 or 2 days |
| Sausage from beef or turkey (uncooked) | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Source: USDA |
|
|
|
Food Dating
|
|
“Open dating” (use of a calendar date as opposed to a code) on a food product is a date stamped on a product’s package to help the store determine how long to display the product for sale. It also helps the purchaser to understand the time limit to purchase, or by when to use the product at its best quality. It is not a “safety” date.
|
|
|
What type of food is dated?
|
Open dating is primarily found on perishable foods such as meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products.
Types of dates include:
Sell-by:
tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires. Use-by: The last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date is determined by the manufacturer of the product.
Closed or coded:
These dates are packing numbers to be used by the manufacturer.
Recommendations for Food Safety
Product dates are not the ultimate guide for the safe use of a product. Here are some additional tips for using food when at top quality:
- Purchase the product before the expiry date
- If perishable, take the food home immediately after purchase and refrigerate promptly
- Freeze products if you cannot use them within times recommended on the chart
- Once a perishable product is frozen, it does not matter if the date expires because foods kept frozen continuously are safe indefinitely
- Follow handling recommendations on product
| Source: USDA |
|
|