Is Ground Beef Still Good After the Expiration Date?

Ground beef is a refrigerator and pantry staple for many. It’s so versatile – you can make burgers, meatballs, tacos, chili, and so much more. But with a relatively short shelf life, you may wonder if ground beef is still safe to eat after passing the expiration date printed on the package.

The answer is that it can be, but there are important factors to consider when deciding whether to cook or toss expired ground beef By understanding what expiration dates mean, what spoiled beef looks and smells like, and how to safely handle meat, you can minimize food waste while still avoiding foodborne illness

Decoding the Expiration Date

The expiration date printed on ground beef is more correctly termed a “sell by” or “use by” date This tells you the last day the retailer recommends displaying the product for sale

You can safely store ground beef in the refrigerator for 1-2 days past the sell by date before cooking it. The expiration date is really more of a guideline than a hard cutoff.

Ground beef that has been continuously refrigerated and is still relatively fresh should not automatically be discarded after the sell by date. Instead, you need to use a combination of the date along with evaluating changes in color, odor, and texture to determine if it’s truly spoiled.

If the ground beef has been frozen solid at 0°F (-18°C) or below, it remains safe indefinitely. However, freezing can degrade texture and moisture content over time. For best quality, ground beef is optimal if cooked within 4 months after freezing, even if stored continuously at 0°F.

So think of the expiration date as a starting point rather than a definitive cut off. Other signs of spoilage give more reliable clues than the date alone as to whether ground beef is still usable. Trust your senses along with the date.

How to Tell If Expired Ground Beef Is Bad

Because ground beef has more exposed surface area than steak or roasts, it does tend to spoil more quickly. Here are some ways to tell if your expired ground beef has gone bad:

• Gray or brown exterior. Fresh ground beef should be bright red on the exterior. If the outside has turned fully gray or brown, it is spoiled. Discard it.

• Slimy texture. Fresh ground beef is slightly sticky but should not feel overly slimy or slippery. Throw out ground beef with a slick, slimy feel.

• Putrid smell. Rancid, rotten, or “off” odors indicate spoilage organisms have multiplied. Do not eat expired ground beef with a bad smell.

• Mold growth. Check cooked ground beef leftovers closely. Toss any that have fuzzy mold spots in blue, grey, or green colors.

• Weird color patterns. Unusual colors like green, yellow, or grey streaks on raw ground beef mean it has spoiled.

Trust your senses. If expired ground beef fails the sight, smell or touch test, do not risk eating it. When in doubt, throw it out.

Can You Cook and Eat Expired Ground Beef?

If stored continuously at 40°F (4°C) or below, you can safely cook and eat ground beef 1-2 days after the sell by date, provided it shows no outward signs of spoilage.

The key is that the ground beef must be fresh and devoid of any funky colors, textures, or odors. If you notice anything amiss, do not risk eating it. No one wants a case of food poisoning.

Cooking expired but properly stored ground beef to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) can destroy any harmful bacteria that may have started growing. However, cooking cannot get rid of the toxins bacteria release, so it’s still safest to discard spoiled meat.

Safe handling is also essential. Be sure to wash hands, utensils, and surfaces after touching raw expired ground beef to avoid any cross-contamination.

Storing Ground Beef Safely

To get the longest shelf life out of your ground beef and keep it safe past the sell by date:

• Refrigerate it as soon as possible, ideally within 1 hour of purchasing.

• Make sure your fridge temperature is 40°F (4°C) or below. Use a refrigerator thermometer to check.

• Place ground beef on a plate or in a container on the bottom shelf of the fridge where it is coldest.

• Separate it from other foods, especially produce, to prevent cross-contamination.

• If freezing for longer term storage, use freezer-safe wrap and freeze at 0°F (-18°C) or below.

• Thaw frozen ground beef for at least 24 hours in the fridge before cooking. Do not thaw at room temperature.

Proper, continuous refrigeration and freezing are the keys to extending the shelf life of ground beef beyond the sell by date.

How Long Does Ground Beef Last in the Fridge?

With optimal storage, ground beef should retain good quality for:

• Raw: 1-2 days past the sell by date or 3-5 days total after purchasing

• Cooked: 3-4 days after cooking if stored in air-tight container

• Frozen: 4 months for best flavor/texture (frozen at 0°F/-18°C or below)

Though harmful bacteria can start growing after these time frames if the meat was mishandled, you can usually still cook and safely eat ground beef up to 7 days past the sell by date as long as it was continuously refrigerated, kept below 40°F (4°C), and shows no signs of spoilage.

Trust your nose, eyes, and common sense along with adhering to food safety best practices.

Signs You Should Not Eat Expired Ground Beef

Even if ground beef has been refrigerated or frozen for its entire storage life, you should still discard it if you notice any of the following:

• Slippery, overly slimy texture
• Grey, brown, green, or yellow discoloration
• Mold or fuzzy growths
• Rancid, sour, or rotten smell
• Weird gaseous odors like ammonia
• Unusual sticky residue on the surface

Do not risk tasting, cooking, or eating ground beef with those signs of spoilage. It is not worth taking a chance on foodborne illness.

Can You Get Sick from Eating Spoiled Ground Beef?

Eating rancid ground beef that contains pathogenic bacteria could make you sick.

Common symptoms of foodborne illness are nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. People with compromised immune systems are most at risk.

While spoilage bacteria like lactobacillus and pseudomonas can degrade meat quality, they likely won’t make you ill. However, their presence may allow disease-causing bacteria like E. coli and salmonella to thrive.

Consuming undercooked or spoiled ground beef is never worth the risk. Always examine meat carefully for signs of spoilage and cook thoroughly to 160°F (71°C) internal temperature. When in doubt, throw it out.

The Takeaway

Thanks to preservatives and modern refrigeration, the sell by date on ground beef is not definitive. With proper continuous chilled storage below 40°F (4°C), ground beef can retain quality and safety for 3-5 days past that date.

Look for changes in color, odor, and texture rather than relying on the date alone. And cook ground beef thoroughly to destroy bacteria.

By following food safety best practices, you can often safely freeze, refrigerate, and cook ground beef beyond the expiration date printed on the package. Use common sense to determine if it’s still fresh.

With smart handling and storage, it is possible to reduce food waste and safely eat ground beef past its sell by date in many cases. Just take cautious care in evaluating its condition before cooking.