# Is this pancetta still good?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** food-cooking
**Created:** [October 11, 2023, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423 "2023-10-11T22:58:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2023, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/1 "2023-10-11T22:58:35Z")
Several months ago I decided to make spaghetti carbonara. While shopping for the ingredients I was unsure how much pancetta I needed, and I ended up buying an extra package. So the unused package went in the fridge and I kind of forgot about it. The “best before” date is July 29, 2023. The package is unopened, and I don’t see any visible mold or anything inside, but I’d rather not open it up to do a sniff test.
It’s basically this stuff, except it’s uncured pancetta (in case that makes a difference in the shelf life) in that same sort of package.
> **[PANCETTA CUBETTI, Cubetti](https://usa.citterio.com/en/product/pancetta-cubetti-uci0023412)**
>
> Recipe ready, 4oz cubed package
In hindsight I should have just put it in the freezer when I realized I bought more than I needed, and I put it in there just now assuming it is still good. But is it?
---
### Author:  [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2023, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/2 "2023-10-11T23:16:05Z")
“When in doubt, throw it out.”
I would not eat it, but each to their own. Is it worth the risk?
---
### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2023, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/3 "2023-10-11T23:50:18Z")
Noooooo. Don’t eat it.
Bad idea to eat old pork products. Unless you like hugging the porcelain.
When you open it if it’s slimy it’s bad.
---
### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/4 "2023-10-12T02:19:51Z")
I was leaning towards “it’s probably fine”, thinking “it’s a close cousin to bacon”… until you said it’s uncured.
So, basically raw pork?
:eww:
---
### Author:  [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/5 "2023-10-12T02:51:40Z")
And based on the consensus in this thread I have thrown it out.
---
### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/6 "2023-10-12T03:00:12Z")
Wise decision.
---
### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/7 "2023-10-12T03:02:18Z")
Yeah, I eat all sorts of stuff that people on this board are afraid to eat. But no way would I eat uncured pork that old. And I’d be worried about botulism, not just a tummy bug.
---
### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/8 "2023-10-12T03:09:40Z")
Cured, probably yes. Uncured, no.
---
### Author:  [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/9 "2023-10-12T03:11:49Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> When you open it if it’s slimy it’s bad.
This. It might still be good but uncured does not last as long as cured; and, if either of them are slimy to the touch, they are total trash.
---
### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/10 "2023-10-12T03:51:32Z")
Uncured does not mean not cured. It means that nitrate laden celery juice is used for curing instead of refined nitrates.
So don’t throw out that pancetta because it’s not cured, throw it out because it’s old.
---
### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/11 "2023-10-12T14:39:02Z")
Yes, I was going to say pancetta is by definition cured. If it’s not cured, it’s just raw pork belly.
I’d open and sniff, but it’s probably gone bad, and I see you’ve thrown it out anyway.
---
### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/12 "2023-10-12T15:08:56Z")
I would have given it a sniff. It’s not really “uncured.” There’s plenty of cure with the celery powder or juice I presume it uses. (I’ve read that they often have more nitrates/nitrites than traditionally cured products.) Real pancetta can last months, if not over a year. The worst it gets is it dries out. But with this stuff, I’m not 100% sure. Note that the date is a “best before” date and not an expiration date.
---
### Author:  [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/13 "2023-10-12T15:33:56Z")
Yeah, “uncured” really doesn’t mean raw, it means not cured in the conventional method with nitrites.
But it’s still got loads of salt and lots of nitrites that come from natural sources like celery juice/powder, so they can get the exact same result as conventional curing, but they can claim that it’s not the same thing and market it as such.
Plus IIRC, pancetta has a drying step as well.
So I’d imagine that if it smells and looks good, it’s probably safe to eat , although the flavor may have suffered due to oxidation or something like that. That’s what “best before” means, especially if it’s been refrigerated the whole time.
---
### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/14 "2023-10-12T15:54:00Z")
> [@bump](#):
>
> Plus IIRC, pancetta has a drying step as well.
Yep. I’ve made it before. You basically salt and season it, stick it in the fridge in a plastic bag for a week or so, roll it and string it up, and let it dry for 3-4 weeks or so in the correct conditions (in re:temp & humidity.) And, voila, pancetta.
---
### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/15 "2023-10-12T18:48:49Z")
Speaking of which, i have a whole dry salami that i bought early in the pandemic (hey, meat that keeps!) That i ought to throw away. It looks fine, but i don’t trust it.
---
### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/16 "2023-10-12T19:29:49Z")
That celery juice stuff really gets around.
---
### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/17 "2023-10-12T19:37:48Z")
> [@bump](#):
>
> Yeah, “uncured” really doesn’t mean raw, it means not cured in the conventional method with nitrites.
And a cure doesn’t even require nitrates/nitrites of any kind. Things can be completely salt cured. (And, stuff like prosciutto is only cured with salt. Or at least that’s the way it’s traditionally done. I believe it’s the same for jamon iberico. The main thing is you need to use more salt if you don’t use nitr(a/i)tes. Salt is a wonderful preservative. I still have jars of blended fresh red jalapenos preserved with 20% salt by weight into a paste that are over two years old and still taste fine.)
---
### Author:  [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/18 "2023-10-12T23:25:50Z")
Cherry powder does the same and also stabilizes the color of preserved meats.
However, as @pulykamell points out, the historic method of preservation is just to use salt. The meat will taste different than the stuff you are used to, but that is how it was done in the olden days.
---
### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/19 "2023-10-12T23:27:35Z")
Yum. 🍒 Cherry meat sounds good. 😊
---
### Author:  [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2023, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423/20 "2023-10-12T23:40:09Z")
I cannot stress this strongly enough: You did the right thing. Sniffing has little to no bearing on whether old food is going to kill you or make you sick. Please folks, get it through your heads (I know you’ve heard this before) most food borne pathogens do not look, feel, or smell any different than perfectly good food. That’s why we need safety guidelines.
We all want to believe that we can tell the difference, but we can’t. I’m not saying that the bad-smelling food is OK, I’m just saying that the good-smelling food isn’t (necessarily) either.
[Food Safety Myths](https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/food-safety/food-safety-myths#:~:text=Myth%3A%20Leftovers%20are%20safe%20to,they%20look%20and%20smell%20okay.&text=The%20types%20of%20bacteria%20that,leftovers%20within%203%2D4%20days).
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-pancetta-still-good/991423.md?page=2)