my grandmother has some meat in her freezer that has been there for two weeks now. I agree that it suppose to be safe for consumption because microorganisms cant survive under such temperatures. my concern however is two Weeks is too long even in a freezer. somebody help me here; how long can meat last in a freezer?
I have also thought about this sometime ago especially because of the fact I was into the habit of keeping meat in refrigerator for long. I normally go to buy raw foodstuff once or twice in a month including meat which I buy in large quantities to last weeks. I keep the meat in refrigerator for weeks Somehow I'm also trying to know if keeping meat in refrigerator for long say two weeks is healthy enough.
@ADSSOLSN Oooh my mum used to keep perishables too long but she rarely got ill. Most meat suppliers recommend that you eat it with 2 days of opening but some will last another day in the fridge In a freezer I wouldn't worry as much as long as you have frozen it on or before the sell by date. I have kept meat in there as long as a month and it's been fine. You can usually tell by the colour and texture of the meat whether it has spoiled though.
From what I remember, it is 7 days for the meat to last good inside the freezer. But I will be honest to tell you that we do not store meat anymore because we are after the freshness. When there was a string of cases on food poisoning due to stale meat, we realized that it is not a healthy option to use frozen meat. What we do now is to buy meat that we will cook for the day. That way, we are assured of fresh ingredients in our dishes. It is quite an expense to go to the market everyday so the trick is to buy meat today which is good for 2 days and cook the meat upon arriving home from the market. Storing cooked food in the refrigerator is much better than storing raw meat in the freezer.
I think it depends a lot on the type of meat and where / how it is being stored. But overall, I think about 8 days is enough so that the meat still remains in good condition. However... I particularly, never had meat stored in the freezer for more than 3 days.
If the meat is put in the freezer right after purchasing it, you should be good to eat it for at least 6 months. I purchase meat in bulk all the time when it is on sale and have never had an issue. If your meat is stored in the fridge, you should cook it up within 3 days to prevent potential bacteria.
I don't allow meat to last beyond 3 days at the freezer without cooking. The USDA website has a very informative page on meat safety: Log In It says that meat stored at 0 °F will remain safe to eat and my refrigerator's freezer don't measure up to this standard as I generally set the temperature on the low end. You will probably need a chest freezer if you want to keep meat safe for longer period.
If the meat is not processed, it not a good idea to store them for long. Non-veg stuffs are prone to grow micro-organisms faster than the veg items. So, it might be risky to consume meat after certain time frame. Besides, due to power cuts or some other reasons, the temperature of the freezer might not be the same. Thus, it's better not to take a chance.
Working onboard ships with no grocery stores available we normally buy big quantities of meats (pork,beef,lambs etc.) This provisions depends on how long our voyage and the next port available. The meats in the freezer sometimes lasts a month or more with no problem as long as its frozen solid. Theres a safe temperature for stocking meats. You just have to make sure it wont reach the danger temp. where it starts to defrost cause thats when bacteria starts to penetrate and contaminate the meat. Stocking meat for 14 days in the freezer is safe no need to worry for you and your grandma.
This is a good question. Probably the should be a standard for that meat related freezer time. You have to note, however, that some freezers may be more efficient than others according to condition or capability. It has been previously revealed that there were instances when meat distributors had meat in storage for over six months which was eventually sold to consumers. This really qualifies the necessity for your question.
I always keep the meats in the fridge according to the expiration date that is inputed on the tag of the meat packageing whether I keep it in the freezer or not. The longest I have seen in the tag is 3 days so that's the maximum I keep it. I know of some people who leave it for longer and the meat is fine. Now that I have my daughter I have to be more careful so I try to go by the tags information.
Two weeks is nothing, meat can stay in the freezer for months given there is no change in the conditions and that it was initially frozen. Be careful since I am assuming that you're using the freezer, if it's in the fridge then you need to get rid of it withing 3-4 days.
It's like a week or two is the more ideal length of time to store meat in the refrigerator from what I can gather. This is something I never knew about, I had thought since the meat is there frozen up it can stay for any length of day without getting bad.
Well I would definitely heir on the side of caution if you are talking about meat. I have heard some horror stories so just make sure that you are doing things correct before moving on.
I don't think it is really a problem health wise. In my family, we buy meat in bulk and store it for weeks plus it's been a long age sort of tradition . As long as it is frozen, you have nothing to worry about. At freezing point, any activity or reaction is frozen and halted. There's nothing to worry about.
