AIBU to cook beef mince that expired last Friday?

[tryingtosortmylifeout]

Probably not technically an AIBU, but posting here for traffic and a (hopefully) quick response!

I’m cooking a chilli con carne tonight for DH and me, using half a packet of beef mince. It was opened on Thursday, when I used half the mince and stored the rest in the fridge. The use by date was Friday November 2nd.

AIBU to now be using the remainder in a chilli? I was loathe to throw it away, as money is tight at the moment and I can’t stand wasting things. I will be boiling the hell out of it for 45 mins or so.

Would you eat it or bin it?

Toherdoor I’m so glad I’m not the only one to know that. Fed up of MN saying “well I would eat it if it didn’t smell rank” That’s stupid and potentially dangerous advice.

Retired chef here.
I wouldn't risk it myself, it's not worth it plus it will taint the taste if not fresh so you will be wasting all the other ingredients.My motto "If in doubt, throw it out "

You do know the pink colour is unnatural don't you

Um... have you ever minced a piece of beef? It’s pink/red.

Oxidisation turns it brown - and because there’s a massive surface area (all the better for the bugs to get in) it goes brown quickly. The gases in the packaging stop that process - but it’s not unnatural!

The best thing is to mince it fresh, the next best thing is to make sure you don’t cook or eat mince that either appears or smells off, or is past it’s use by date.

Take a chance on other stuff but I’d not chance minced meat.

Next time you buy mince, make double the amount of whatever it is you're cooking, divide and freeze. No waste plus there's a meal in the freezer, waiting for a time when you're too shattered to cook.

Btw - bean chilli is extremely delicious.

Iv had food poisening ( confirmed by a test ) altho not sure whether it was because the food was "off" as such as can't actually confirm which meal gave me it. It was THE WORST I have never been so ill . Soooo my new rule is , is it really worth the worry and non enjoyment of a meal due to said worry for eg if I'm not totally sure something is still fresh . And the answer for the sake of a couple of quid a worth of mince here would be know . I'd rather have a bowl of cereal or something .

On and OP . To save waste make meals and freeze them !!

No *

Update - after showing the advice on here to DH, we chickened out and ordered a takeaway instead!

I would normally have frozen it at the time of opening, but I somehow completely forgot this time. I love the idea of making two lots of chilli/bol at once though and freezing half. I need to batch cook more!

I have always found it very easy to tell when mince shouldn’t be eaten from the horrble smell. My husband is a bit OTT, he asked me yesterday if we should eat some mash that had the previous days date on.

Mince unpackaged, but slaughtered and treated exactly the same would not be pink - it would be brown. The gas in the packaging keeps it pink for much longer than it would naturally be pink for as supermarkets couldn't sell brown meat.

The gas in the packaging keeps it pink for much longer than it would naturally be pink for

Yes ... but it does indeed start off pink in the first place, that’s not unnatural!

Mince is so cheap. Buy a new pack.