"Freeze on day of purchase"

12 replies

LucyJones · 07/06/2007 16:09

Do you?
My sister was horrified to learn that if we have some mince and then don't decide to have it that day we put it in the freezer on it's sell by date.
She said you can only freeze it on the day you buy it.
So for example tonight is her mince's sell by date but she doesn't want it so she's going to throw it away instead of freezing it.

OP posts:

TheArmadillo · 07/06/2007 16:10

really?

I thought it was fine to freeze it on its sell by date - I do it when I've forgotten to check the date on it, rather than throwing it away.

What a waste of food otherwise (of course if I was more organised....)

SallyAllbright · 07/06/2007 16:12

as long as it's not reached its Use By date I freeze stuff I haven't used. Haven't had food poisoning yet!

ComeOVeneer · 07/06/2007 16:12

For safety sake they say freeze on day of purchse, but that could actually be the sell by date. I frequently put it in the freezer on that day rather than bin it. Never poisoned anyone yet

peachygirl · 07/06/2007 16:12

I often have stuff in the fridge and the freeze it several days later. Always by the sell by date I've always been fine

Speccy · 07/06/2007 16:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ceolas · 07/06/2007 16:14

Technically it could be on the shelf til the sell by date. So if you bought it then and froze on day of purchase, what's the difference?

JodieG1 · 07/06/2007 16:14

I freeze whenever too.

Original poster

LucyJones · 07/06/2007 16:15

So glad you all agree that she is mad!

OP posts:

WakeUpCall · 07/06/2007 16:16

I would be a bit concerned about freezing mince after seeing that undercover tv programme a few weeks ago. It showed the butchers dept mincing meat already on or past it's sell by date. Imagine the state of it if you leave it 3 or 4 days and then freeze it. [boak]

fortyplus · 07/06/2007 16:20

Good quality beef carcasses are hung for up to 5 weeks - Sainsbury's usually hang theirs for 10-14 days, except the 'Taste the Difference', which is 21 days.

So I'm sure an odd few days wouldn't make any difference. Beef isn't anything like as much of a salmonella risk as chicken - I definitely wouldn't keep that for too long.

In any case, the storage guidelines are for a fridge at 5 degrees C. If yours is colder food will last longer - if it's too warm it may be dangerous before its sell by date!

JodieG1 · 07/06/2007 16:46

I buy my meat from the butchers, don't buy from supermarkets.

fortyplus · 07/06/2007 22:43

I buy mine from a friend's farm most of the time, but it's about 12 miles away so I do sometimes chuck a chicken or pack of mince in my supermarket trolley.

And... I really like supermarket Indian & Chinese banquets, but I don't have them too often for the sake of my large-enough-already thighs

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