This color change occurs as the bacteria break down the iron compounds in the meat. If your ground beef is gray, slimy, or smelly, it's spoiled. To avoid wasting food, take action when you purchase ground beef. Either cook it or freeze it within a day or two of buying it.
Usually, you'll see a sell-by date on the package. Even if that date is two or three days in the future, pay no attention to it. Cook the meat the day you bring it home or freeze it. Freezing does not kill the bacteria that cause spoilage or food poisoning, but it does slow down the reproductive cycle. Bacteria goes into a state of suspended animation. If you are using the meat for burgers, you can plan ahead and season the meat, form it into patties, transfer the patties to freezer bags, and freeze them.
When you are ready to use them, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator. If you have less time to thaw, place the baggie in a casserole dish in the sink and run cold water over it.
Make sure the burgers are submerged and the water is changed every 30 minutes. If you use hot or even warm water, you could ruin the meat. Department of Agriculture. Jarvie, Michelle. Sun, Xiang Dong, and Richard A. Edell, Dean M.
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Healthiness Dr. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Unopened raw ground beef may be kept in its original store packaging when refrigerating; to maximize the shelf life of ground beef, do not open the package until ready to use.
How long can raw ground beef be left at room temperature? To further extend the shelf life of raw ground beef, freeze; when freezing, place ground beef in the freezer before the number of days shown for refrigerator storage has elapsed.
You can maximize the shelf life of ground beef in the freezer by overwrapping the original store packaging with airtight heavy-duty aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper or place the package inside a heavy-duty freezer bag in order to prevent freezer burn. How long does raw ground beef last in the freezer? Properly stored, raw ground beef will maintain best quality for about 3 to 4 months in the freezer, but will remain safe beyond that time.
How long does raw ground beef last after being frozen and thawed? Normal, safe, fresh ground beef should not have a noticeable or unpleasant smell. Multiplying spoilage bacteria can cause a strong odor to occur. But it is important to remember that pathogenic bacteria may not cause a bad smell. So if there is not a bad scent but the ground beef is displaying other signs that it has gone bad, it is still advisable to discard the meat.
The Food and Drug Administration FDA do not require there be an expiration date label on any food products except infant formula. But because there are localized rules surrounding these dates, most food products do tend to have a date on them.
It is safe for people to consume refrigerated ground beef up to 2 days past this date. If freezing, it is advisable to eat ground beef within 4 months.
Click here to learn more about freezing and storing meat. If a person has stored the meat at too high a temperature, or the packaging is torn or leaking, it is possible that bacteria has contaminated the ground beef. People should be cautious if they suspect that ground beef may be bad. By consuming potentially spoiled meat, people run the risk of developing food poisoning. Symptoms of food poisoning may include :. Outbreaks of food poisoning linked to ground beef are relatively common in the U.
Bacteria that may cause these outbreaks include Salmonella , Escherichia coli E. While many infections resulting from these bacteria can be mild, in some cases they can be life threatening.
In order to avoid foodborne illnesses, people should follow the four guidelines laid out by the U. People should ensure that their refrigerator and freezer are the correct temperature to keep their food safe. It is safe to store ground beef in the refrigerator for 1—2 days , and eat leftovers within 4 days. A person can store ground beef in the freezer for up to 4 months. It is important that a person never leaves ground beef out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, as this can cause harmful bacteria to grow.
By correctly and safely handling and storing ground beef, people should be able to avoid spoilage. It is important for people to be aware of potential signs that may indicate spoilage, such as color, smell, texture, and compromised packaging or storage. In addition to safe handling and storage of ground beef, people should also ensure they thoroughly cook ground beef to the correct internal temperature to destroy bacteria.
How long can you freeze meat?
0コメント