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Q:
How many days is ground beef safe after the "sell by" date? I want to make hamburgers with ground beef that I purchased three days ago.
A:
Beef safety
The quality and safety of your beef will depend on the storage temperature at the store and while it was transported to your house, in addition to the temperature of your refrigerator. If your shopping trip will be longer than 30 minutes travel time, take a cooler and ice or ice pack to keep the meat chilled. The optimum temperature is 33°F for meats in your refrigerator. Keep wrapped meat on a plate or pan to catch drips that might contaminate other foods.
Generally, you can expect to be able to use ground beef one to three days after the sell-by date depending on how it has been handled. Steaks will likely be good for another day or two. You may be able to use the ground beef or steaks stored in the refrigerator a day or two longer if stored in best conditions — in that case, signs of spoilage (below) will tell you when it is too late. Quality begins to decline on the sell-by date, so you should try to use the meat as soon as you can or put it in your freezer.
Signs of spoilage
- Off-odors
- Slimy texture
- Color changes
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