To eat out of date ham....

[bluefoxforever]

It's two days out of date in an unopened packet...just went to make sandwich for son and noticed it! So annoying.

Any foodies out there? Do you think it will make him ill or will it be ok if it's sealed...
thanks!

Step away from the health risk... It's not worth it.

no way. its already processed

Two days past, still sealed, I'd eat it. Let the smell guide you, but I feel pretty sure it won't smell.

FYI my son recently ate smoked salmon two months out of date, then told me it tasted odd - my MIL had left it in my fridge when she left the country, thinking I might find it useful.

Ham smells awful when it's off, so if it smells alright I'd use it.

Open it, smell it. If it smells rank, don't eat it. Otherwise, it'll be fine.

Pretend there is no date stamp and smell it. Off meat smells vile.

Does anyone know why packet ham has such a short shelf life after it's been opened? It normally says eat within 2 days or something daft, even if the use by date is much longer. Does wrapping it in cling film and putting it back in the fridge not mean it should be ok for a bit longer than that?

Dave because they want you to throw it away and buy more and have to account for people whose fridges are too warm or who use a dirty knife to get the ham out of the packet. It'll be fine for at least a week providing that it's not loads passed the date.

2 days passed will almost certainly be fine, but do what Matilda says, pretend there is no date and use your eyes and nose, not an arbitary date that is based on extremely cautious assumptions and is set by someone who wants you to spend as much money as possible on their products.

Just sniff it. Usually fine.

Pork is one of the worst meats you could eat out of date. Mmm... worms.

What age is DS? Under 18 and YABU. Over 18 and its his own fault for not making his own sandwich.

I think you are BU to eat ham in any state. Poor piggies.

Thanks for the advice all ...I decided against it. Not worth the risk ;)

Really? You just wasted the whole packet without even relying on your own senses?

I have just had sandwiches that were made with ham from a packet that must have been opened since Monday night for OHs' Tuesday lunch. Smelt fine, looked fine, tasted fine.

I don't get the paranoia over a printed date when you can tell quite easily if it's gone off.

I don't get the paranoia over a printed date when you can tell quite easily if it's gone off

1. It's not paranoia, it's a use-by date, not a best before date

1. You can't always tell if it's got a bacterial overgrowth via smell alone

1. Most people would pay £2 or whatever the packet cost in order to potentially avoid food poisoning which (aside from the discomfort and potential knock-on health risks) might add up to £££ in lost earnings due to looking after a poorly little boy

OP was not being remotely unreasonable in making this decision. Cop on.

I ate some Philadelphia yesterday that had mould on it, I made sure I used the non mould bit.

2. You can't always tell if it's got a bacterial overgrowth via smell alone

Yes but less bacteria = less smell and therefore an amount of bacterial that a healthy person can cope with.

I have just eaten 2 day out of date ham for my lunch. I use my eyes and nose, followed by sense of taste. Dates are pretty arbitrary, very cautious and aim to get you to throw stuff out and spend more.

And bluesbaby it's not going to suddenly develop worms having been cured and sealed in a pack, just because it is 2 days 'out of date'. Worms will only be there if the meat hygiene in the slaughterhouse didn't detect it AND the meat is undercooked. Trichinosis is extremely rare these days due to meat hygiene controls, pigs being treated for worms and people cooking meat better.

I would have eaten it. Those packs have long shelf life of a few weeks after being sealed , it isn't magically going to go off within 48 hours of the day on the pack ever.

Cop on what exactly?

I use my common sense and my senses to check food. I note the date as part of that. Blindly throwing food out because the date has passed means it must have gone immediately bad at the stroke of midnight is crazy.

I also hate wasting food so my natural stinginess plays a part. However I am still alive and don't remember the last time I had a tummy bug caused by food.

I regularly eat fresh food that is a day or two out of date and I have never tasted anything that was remotely off and the only time I have had food poisoning in the last 30+ years is a prepacked prawn sandwich from the work canteen, that would have been in date and eaten within minutes of purchase and probably followed all food hygiene requirements to the letter.

To be fair, it's probably not that good for you IN date!

Processed meat and cancer – what you need to know - Cancer Research UK - Science blog
scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2015/10/26/processed-meat-and-cancer-what-you-need-to-know/

I didn't 'blindly' do anything. I used my 'common sense' and tasted the ham before I threw it out...it didn't taste or smell right... that's good enough for me...I just don't get the 'hate' and judgment on here from some of you. I was only asking for your advice. Next time I think I'll just make a cheese sandwich instead ;0

Suffolk you have to take into account relative risk, look beyond the headline. With a lifetime risk of bowel cancer of 61 cases per 1000 population, never eating any processed meat would only reduce that to 56. Eating lots only increases it to 66. It really is a pretty low risk unless you plan to live off bacon, ham and sausages for every meal. Keep the risk in perspective and enjoy everything in moderation.

bluefoxforever I didn't 'blindly' do anything. I used my 'common sense' and tasted the ham before I threw it out...it didn't taste or smell right... that's good enough for me

...Er, that is what most pp are saying! So what on earth was the point of your OP which strongly intimated you had not done any of that and were instead asking on AIBU about an unopened packet and if it being out of date would make him ill?

Were you really asking "I have some ham that looks, tastes and smells off, shall I feed it to my son?"