I was sorting out the fridge and behind some other food was a joint of beef for roasting. Uncooked, vacuum-packed. Its use-by date is 16 Dec 09. It’s been sitting at the back bottom of the fridge for over 3 weeks :smack:
But I’m wondering, is it still safe to eat? I know beef can be left to mature for good while. If it’s not safe to roast, are there ways of cooking it safely?
It may still be good. Open it and smell it. If it smells okay, it’s okay to eat. If it smells at all rancid, even just for a whiff, then throw it away; you can’t fix it. The “use-by” date is a recommendation based on the earliest date it could start to spoil, but there’s a range. Like you said, aged beef is okay, but it’s aged at colder temps than a normal fridge; however, many areas of the fridge are colder than others.
Is any of it looking a bit green? Does any part of it smell even a bit off? If not you’re fine. I’d recommend some sort of stew so you can cut it up and have a good sniff around the meat.
Best before dates for a load of products are more to do with stock rotation than actual edibility.