# Factory Vacpak Refrigerated beef is not good for 3 months is it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 8, 2026, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factory-vacpak-refrigerated-beef-is-not-good-for-3-months-is-it/1027505 "2026-02-08T19:55:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2026, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factory-vacpak-refrigerated-beef-is-not-good-for-3-months-is-it/1027505/1 "2026-02-08T19:55:44Z")
So I was at Meijer yesterday, looking for meat bargains. Nothing seemed good at all until I saw refrigerated brisket(whole)(fresh, not corned) for $3.99 a pound, and on a whim, grabbed one. I had no idea what to do with 13 pounds of meat, but figured I could cut it into many portions and re-vacpak and freeze assuming I could then use them over many months. When I got home I grabbed my Foodsaver [sup]TM[/sup] and started to get ready to cut it into 5 or so sections, when I had the secondary thought to check my freezer space, and found there was nowhere near enough. I didn’t panic though, being vacbagged I knew I should have 3 weeks or so to work through some of the freezer backlog to make room(motivation I really need to be honest). But then I thought “I don’t know how long it has been in the Fridge case. I should check the date to make sure I had the time. The printed tag says: “Sell by 5/5/2026”!? Is that possible? three months for non-frozen brisket? Or is it more likely they printed that for frozen, the didn’t change the tag after thawing? ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2026, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factory-vacpak-refrigerated-beef-is-not-good-for-3-months-is-it/1027505/2 "2026-02-08T21:08:21Z")
That strikes me as really long as well. The cryo and vacpak stuff I buy is normally 2-3 weeks, and of course, it’s also in a heavier “solution” (salt) than I’d prefer anyway! In a very cold fridge (barely above freezing) maybe a bit longer, but 3 months seems way off. Since this is FQ though, a website for beef research (almost certainly industry based though): > **[Beef Research - Beef Shelf-Life](https://www.beefresearch.org/resources/product-quality/fact-sheets/beef-shelf-life)** > The shelf-life of vacuum-packaged fresh beef primals and subprimals is generally reported as approximately 35 to 45 days, with longer shelf-life of 70 to 80 days possible when refrigeration is optimally low (28-32°F). Voges et al. (2006) reported a range of three to 83 days for average retail aging and seven to 136 days for average foodservice aging. Does seem to indicate that with optimally cold storage (as I suspected above) could indeed be stretched to close to the three months mentioned. In a home fridge that’s going to opened many times a day though… I doubt it’s anywhere close to optimal. ---
**Author:** ![a6ka97](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@a6ka97](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a6ka97)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2026, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factory-vacpak-refrigerated-beef-is-not-good-for-3-months-is-it/1027505/3 "2026-02-08T23:31:10Z")
Is there a chance that the package/meat was irradiated? Not common, but the process (like pasteurization) can extend the shelf life of products considerably. If so, it should be notated or have the irradiated symbol on the packaging. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factory-vacpak-refrigerated-beef-is-not-good-for-3-months-is-it/1027505/4 "2026-02-09T18:45:43Z")
I don’t see anything indicating irradiation on the package. Damn though, 13.4 pounds of brisket looks bigger every time I open the fridge. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factory-vacpak-refrigerated-beef-is-not-good-for-3-months-is-it/1027505/5 "2026-02-09T18:47:42Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Damn though, 13.4 pounds of brisket looks bigger every time I open the fridge. 🙂 Sounds perfect, actually: > [@Barbecued Beef Brisket!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barbecued-beef-brisket/965672): > > So I’ve BBQed beef brisket many times before in my smoker, but only flats, because a whole brisket is too large for my bullet-style smoker. I’ve been wanting to try this ATK / Cook’s Country technique for cooking a whole brisket in a kettle grill using the snake coal method (as seen in video below) for awhile now, and when doing some shopping today found whole briskets at the grocery store for 1/2 off. So I knew that this weekend is finally the time. Going to rub down the brisket soon (simple s… ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factory-vacpak-refrigerated-beef-is-not-good-for-3-months-is-it/1027505/6 "2026-02-09T20:02:57Z")
I guess the point would be that chopping it up to repackage means being able to fit it into nooks and crannies where the whole won’t fit. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factory-vacpak-refrigerated-beef-is-not-good-for-3-months-is-it/1027505/7 "2026-02-09T20:40:55Z")
I’ve seen the same lengthy shelf life on refrigerated but not frozen vacuum-packed pork back ribs. It surprised me, too. But as soon as you break open the packaging tp cut it up you really have to wrap up the pieces well and and freeze them. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/factory-vacpak-refrigerated-beef-is-not-good-for-3-months-is-it/1027505/8 "2026-02-09T20:57:27Z")
The factual question being answered as well as is likely possible - yeah much better off cooking it whole, smoked, braised, whatever your long and slow choice is, then dividing up the cooked product into proper freezer storage units. If you have any leftovers … I mean there is going to be a big chunk of fat there, and shrinkage, and yumminess that makes just one more slice hard to not do!