To eat meat when I don’t know the use by date?

[AliceRR]

DH and I bought a joint or beef from Morrison’s on a Sunday and used half of it for a roast dinner.

The other half, uncooked is in the fridge. DH said he would make a stew or something similar with it in a couple of days but he took it out of the original packaging and so we don’t know what the use by date is.

It’s now Thursday.

If the meat looks and smells ok when I get home do you think it’s ok to eat?

I’m 23 weeks pregnant so extra careful about food poisoning etc

I was going to say I would if it smells and looks ok, until l I read you’re pregnant. I wouldn’t chance it for a couple of quids worth of meat.

I would cook it now and then eat it when you want. Cooking it will mean it has a few extra days added on to when you can eat it

Yes if it looks and smells okay, eat it. Don’t waste it.

Given you’re pregnant, make sure it’s thoroughly cooked. Stewing it is a good idea.

If you’re still worried, cook it and let your DH eat it. He can freeze half if he can’t face it all this week.

Please don’t waste food. It’s all manner of wrong, especially when it’s meat, and especially living in the first world.

I’m an omnivore, I just hate food wastage when you know there are people all over the world - heck, in the UK - who don’t get enough to eat. If meat has gone off, you’ll know it instantly by smell and sight.

@Candlelights2345 That’s my thinking

@dementedpixie Yes that would be my thinking except it could already be past it’s use by date

@7salmonswimming I hate wasting food too. I was annoyed with DH for throwing away the wrapping without taking note of the date!

Annoyingly he would probably say “if it’s not good enough for you it’s not good enough for me” so if I don’t eat then he might not!

D**k shouldn’t have thrown away the label then 🙄😂🙈

It needs to be done now - it lasts 3-5 days in the fridge after opening so its your last chance on that front.

Within that if bought on Sunday the earliest the date would be is probably Monday/Tuesday (as if Sunday it would have been on offer). If it looks ok its ok to add 3-5 days to a use by date (to allow for leeway)

I would definitely cook it through

I would, I'm 24 weeks pregnant.

I would consider whether or not I would give it to my child. If not then let your DH eat it.

@averageisgood Probably hot and I don’t feel comfortable eating it.

DH told me I should throw it away if I don’t want it.

Not sure why he can’t cook and eat it as he originally planned?!

I’m actually quite annoyed with him

OP advice would suggest its fine it can be left 3-5 in the fridge and 305 days after the use by date

Beef takes a really long time to go “off” and be bad for you, and you’d definitely know if it was.

But pregnant women are advised not to eat rare meat, uncooked cured meats, pate, soft cheeses etc all of which are usually considered ok to eat

Which makes me think I should be more careful

But I don’t want to waste food unnecessarily

I could cook and it feed it to DH when he gets home 🤔

Anyone heard of aged beef? Theres older beef on the shelves than this lot you've got

I'd eat it but I'm not pregnant. He owes you a joint of beef! X

You say it was bought "on a Sunday"? If you mean this Sunday just gone, it'll be totally fine to cook today.

The moral of the story is: always roast the whole joint. It roasts much better with a larger piece anyway, and using up the cooked meat gives all sorts of great options.

If it looks fine, smells fine, and you stew or similar (dont eat it rare) I cant see a problem.
I've eaten stuff well past date, and binned stuff technically in date. Use yoyr senses not a computer algorithm.

Sorry meant “on Sunday” as in this Sunday gone

We usually roast the whole lot but last time it just sat in the fridge and I think was wasted

DH kept it as he was going to make a stew but he is disorganised and didn’t do it otherwise I could have just frozen it