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Out of date mince?
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I have some mince which has been in the fridge. It should have been used by 6th and today is the 9th. It has gone a bit grey coloured. Is this now harmful to use or should I throw it out?
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.Does it smell bad? Has it gone slimey? Do you feel uneasy about using it?
Is it a 'use by' or 'best by' date?
Common sense is a better guide than these dates because you know the conditions it has been kept in since it was bought and you can use your own judgement.
Beef is a safer bet than perhaps chicken or fish IMO, ages better. Trouble is with mince, if there were any bacteria present on the surface of the meat it gets distributed throughout, whereas if it were a steak the bacteria is on the surface and more likely to be destroyed when fryed. If you do use it make sure you cook it really thoroughly won't you.
Is it a 'use by' or 'best by' date?
Common sense is a better guide than these dates because you know the conditions it has been kept in since it was bought and you can use your own judgement.
Beef is a safer bet than perhaps chicken or fish IMO, ages better. Trouble is with mince, if there were any bacteria present on the surface of the meat it gets distributed throughout, whereas if it were a steak the bacteria is on the surface and more likely to be destroyed when fryed. If you do use it make sure you cook it really thoroughly won't you.
So the dates gone and its turning a different colour? Does it smell funny too? Personally unless I was really poor I would throw it away rather the risk food poisoning/and or serious illness. Food poisoning can also be fatal in some cases especially if the victim is already weak, ill, elderly or a young child. How much have you got of it, I'm assuming a whole load?
Ratter15, the nice thing about this site is that you can ask questions about things which are on your mind, no matter how silly they may seem to other people. We all need a bit of help from time to time. I remember reading once that mince going brown was absolutely nothing to do with it going "off" but more about colouring due to oxygen, and was not harmful. This may be rubbish but I value other people's opinions, hence asking on here. "Why would you ask such a silly question" is a really idiotic thing to say. Most of the questions on here are silly, but we would still like others' opinions.