Is beef still good after 5 days?

Steak bought from the butcher counter wrapped in plastic and then sealed with butcher paper and a rubber band
  • A Pre® vacuum-sealed steak
  • Each went into the refrigerator for 5 days. Watch to see what we discovered and why we choose to keep our beef airtight and vacuum-sealed. 

     

    Raw steak lasts anywhere from 2 days to two weeks in your refrigerator. It all depends on its packaging.

    From the butcher counter, steaks are wrapped in plastic wrap and butcher paper, and then sealed with a rubber band or tape. Oftenthese steaks have been sitting in the meat case exposed to oxygen throughout the day. 

    The presence of oxygen results in a bright red color in beef.The reason why beef at the meat counter is usually bright red instead of a deep red or purple is that it's in constant contact with oxygen. 

    Next to your grocery store’s butcher counter is the pre-packaged meat section. Here you’ll find meat that is vacuum-sealed. When a steak is vacuum-sealed, oxygen is removed, which is why it is not bright red but a deep red or purple.The seal keeps oxygen out of the package, which equals a longer shelf life. 

    Our beef at Pre® is vacuum-sealed. We chose to vacuum seal our meat to preserve freshness for our consumers. The cardboard backing on our packaging is 100% recyclable and the film we use is free of synthetic chemicals. In addition, we never use nitrate film to enhance meat coloror gasses to extend shelf life – vacuum sealing works just fine.

    If you’ve ever text your mum to check if that weird-looking lamb mince at the back of the fridge was still fair game or, heaven forbid, if you regularly resort to the sniff test, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll say it once and once only: it’s not worth risking the runs – or worse - for the sake of last week’s spag bol. That said, there are legitimate ways to determine whether your leftovers are *actually* safe to eat.

    “With raw chicken, beef, or fish in the fridge, you have between three and four days,” food safety expert Jeff Nelken recently told Well & Good. As a general rule, meat and fish always come with an expiration date printed on the label (which, btw, is very important to adhere to.) It’s also best to store fresh produce in the middle of the fridge where it’s coldest. Note: the temperature should be below 5C at all times to minimise the growth of infectious or toxic micro-organisms.

    “If it has a slimy texture, has changes in colour, or a new odour coming from it, then it’s not good anymore,” Nelken explained. “These are all signs that bacteria is starting to form.”

    For more Food related news and videos check out Food >>

    More on 7NEWS.com.au

    • China in lockdown after COVID surge
    • Plane crashes into backyard killing one
    • Cheers for beers: Victoria pubs to open
    • Kmart pantry queen’s tips for your home

    So far, so straight forward... But what about pre-cooked meat?

    “It’s best to go by how the meat or fish looks, smells and feels to tell if it’s still good or not,” Nelken continued. For pre-cooked beef, chicken, lamb or fish you can usually allow a few extra days.

    How long does meat last in the fridge? Credit: Getty Images

    And if you’re storing stuff in the freezer, you have a little longer. Food Safety Standards Australia recommends binning raw roasts, steaks and chops after a year, and raw ground meat after four months. Same goes for fish. Cooked meat, on the other hand, should stay good for up to three months before you need to toss it.

    Shelf Life Tips

    • How long does raw steak last in the fridge or freezer? The exact answer depends to a large extent on storage conditions - keep steak refrigerated at all times.
    • How long does raw steak last in the refrigerator? After steak is purchased, it may be refrigerated for 3 to 5 days - the "sell-by" date on the package may expire during that storage period, but the steak will remain safe to use after the sell by date if it has been properly stored.
    • Unopened steak may be kept in its original store packaging when refrigerating; to maximize the shelf life of steak, do not open the package until ready to use.
    • How long can raw steak be left at room temperature? Bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F; steak should be discarded if left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature.
    • To further extend the shelf life of steak, freeze; when freezing, place steak in the freezer before the number of days shown for refrigerator storage has elapsed.
    • You can maximize the shelf life of steak 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 steak last in the freezer? Properly stored, raw steak will maintain best quality for about 6 to 12 months in the freezer, but will remain safe beyond that time.
    • The freezer time shown is for best quality only - steak that has been kept constantly frozen at 0° F will keep safe indefinitely.
    • How long does steak last after being frozen and thawed? Steak that has been defrosted in the fridge can be kept for an additional 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator before cooking; steak that was thawed in the microwave or in cold water should be cooked immediately.
    • How long does steak last in the fridge once it is cooked? Cooked steak will usually stay good for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer.
    • How to tell if steak is bad? The best way is to smell and look at the steak: signs of bad steak are a sour smell, dull color and slimy texture; discard any steak with an off smell or appearance.

    About Our Authors

    Sources: For details about data sources used for food storage information, please click here

    Is beef good after 5 days in fridge?

    Beef, veal, lamb and pork roasts, steaks and chops may be kept 3 to 5 days. After cooking, meat, poultry and seafood can be safely stored in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days.

    Can you eat beef after 5 days?

    USDA recommends using cooked beef within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days.

    Is beef good 5 days after sell

    Sell-by Dates "For poultry or ground meat, eating the food one to two days past the date should be ok, and for beef, three to five days after the date has passed," says Schapiro.

    Is 6 day old meat good?

    Once a processed meat product (ham, hot dog, lunchmeat, etc.) package is opened, the product should be good for up to seven days unless another type of date is on the package and has passed. After the seven days, the product should not be consumed.