To ask if 'use by' date on meat changes once it's cooked?

[CityCommuter]

This random topic came up in conversation this evening with a friend... she says that if use by date on raw beef (never frozen) is today and it's then cooked it will therefore last for a few more days as it's like new again and that the same applies to lamb, pork/ham but not to chicken or fish... I thought a use by date meant it had to be cooked and eaten before that date? Can anyone tell me the facts on this please!

Used by date to be cooked. Once cooked I would eat it for the next 3-4 days.

So my whole chicken went off today, so I cooked it and will eat the cold chicken meat the next few days.

I’m like your friend. Cook meat today will last 2 more days. Some say 3 but I think it loses flavour.

Use by date to be cooked then will eat for next few days.

It is a use by date not an eat by date although I would only then leave it for a couple of days in the fridge (unless I was freezing it e.g. a batch of chilli)

I think your friend is right

I would cook any meat (including chicken and fish) before the date, and then put in the fridge for another few days.

Your friend is right.

Definitely applies to chicken & turkey alongside all other meat, best curries are made that way.

Ok I've learned something new this evening thank you! Maybe use by should be changed to 'eat by' date instead then to avoid food wastage?

Or even 'cook by' date...

I bought and froze a whole chicken on its use by date.....does that mean I can defrost and cook it and eat it over 2 days? Really hope this is true!

I've done this and not thought about it and with chicken most definitely. My logic is that cooking changes the structure/kills bacteria and then it's just your standard rules about eating stuff before it goes off? I go by smell and texture

Yes cooking changes the meat/poultry and gives it longer.

Of course! Cook chicken last day of use by, then cooked chicken will keep a few days in fridge covered properly as usual. The use by is for the raw product.

@gaggiagirl

I bought and froze a whole chicken on its use by date.....does that mean I can defrost and cook it and eat it over 2 days? Really hope this is true!

Yes you can cook it and eat over 3-4 days, as long as it was still good when it was frozen.

(As long as it doesn’t stink or look rotten obviously.)

Op, I wasn’t sure about this myself so I asked my friend’s partner about it and he confirmed it was essentially a “cook by” date

Sorry I should have added that he’s a chef

Equally though if you cooked something e.g. 6 days before the use by date you would only have 3/4 days to eat it.

True. Once cooked it’s reset.

Agree with your friend but only if it’s cooked through and piping hot.

If you cooked the meat rare (beef or lamb) then I would be more cautious as it won’t have got fully hot in the middle and so won’t have killed off bacteria there.

Yes, the cooking resets it for a few days.

Yes, your friend is correct.

I never knew this . Always assumed the use by date was an ‘eat by’ date!