Understanding when chicken has gone bad is an integral component of food safety and waste reduction. The answer to “how long is chicken good after the sell by date” depends on multiple factors.
A “sell by date”, also referred to as use-by or best before dates, indicates when products should reach peak quality. But you should use your best judgment and use visual and tactile inspection when making that determination.
How to Check
Consumers can sometimes find the chicken sell by date to be puzzling. While retailers use this date as an indicator for when to take product off shelves, it doesn’t necessarily indicate its peak freshness has passed. Understanding the differences between sell by, use by and expiration dates can help determine if your poultry remains safe to consume after its label date has passed.
Food safety terms such as “sell by,” “use by,” and “expiration date” can often be confused, yet these dates serve different functions. A sell by date helps retailers determine when products should be removed from shelves while use-by dates indicate when products must be consumed before spoilage occurs.
When it comes to poultry products, the sell by date marks the last day that stores should sell it. While this doesn’t indicate it will go bad before this point, improper storage could lead to its quality diminishing over time.
To determine whether chicken is still good, carefully inspect both its packaging and meat itself for signs of mold or spoilage. If it smells off or appears moldy, discard immediately. Furthermore, any cooked poultry must be heated thoroughly up to 165 degrees Fahrenheit in order to kill any bacteria that might be present.
Consider using your senses when inspecting chicken and its packaging as a means of assessing its safety for consumption. If the poultry appears mushy, discolored, or has an offensive odor it should be discarded immediately. Also keep in mind that sell by/use by dates do not provide accurate indicators of product safety – always cook thoroughly to reach temperatures high enough to kill off any bacteria that might exist in it.
What to Look for
If you have purchased chicken but have yet to cook it, the expiration date can be daunting. But rest assured: with proper storage conditions it can remain safe to consume even after its sell by date has passed; though its freshness depends on many variables including temperature and storage conditions.
The sell by date on chicken products is simply used by stores to indicate when they should remove it from shelves. It does not indicate food safety or health concerns and should not be confused with use by dates that appear on packaged foods.
As well as checking its expiration date, it is also vitally important to examine chicken for signs of spoilage. When inspecting for discoloration, foul smells or an alteration in texture or flavor – these should all be indicators that something has gone amiss with its freshness – discard the product immediately as this could result in serious health complications including food poisoning.
Refrigeration is the safest way to preserve chicken, so once purchased it should be stored in the coldest part of your refrigerator at 40degF (4degC or lower). For longer-term storage options such as freezing or canning it is recommended. In either case be sure to write down its date so you can retrieve it later if need be.
Even if you are uncertain whether your chicken has gone bad, it is always better to throw it out than risk its potential risks. Consuming spoiled or contaminated chicken may cause unpleasant taste and smell as well as health complications like food poisoning; eating such chicken may even prove fatal for those with weak immune systems or young children.
Discarding the Product
As is common with food products, packages of chicken usually bear dates labeled with “use by,” “best if used before,” or “sell by,” which represent when the manufacturer estimates that it will reach peak quality and guide retailers as to when to remove the product from display cases. While these dates provide guidance, their accuracy can differ depending on storage and handling practices – if in doubt it’s better to err on the side of caution and throw out rather than risk food poisoning.
For a fast way to test if chicken has become inedible, examine its color, smell and texture. If any of these tests fail to pass muster, discard immediately.
Storing the Chicken
As chicken that has passed its sell by date quickly spoils without proper storage, to avoid food poisoning it is advised that any raw chicken which has passed the sell by date be disposed of and fresh poultry purchased when shopping for groceries.
If you decide to cook chicken after its sell by date, it’s essential that it’s promptly refrigerated in order to preserve its shelf life and prevent spoilage. Consume within four days after refrigeration to avoid spoilage. Keeping chicken separate from other foods in your refrigerator may also help prevent cross-contamination and decrease its risk.
To effectively determine whether chicken has gone bad, it is essential to pay close attention to its appearance and smell. Stale or spoilt poultry often has an offensive odor with slimy textures; in addition, any signs of mold growth should also be monitored closely.
Chicken may still be eaten several days past its sell by date if refrigerated and still having an appetizing appearance and scent. If it has been sitting out on the counter too long or has become unappetizing to consume, however, it may be better off being discarded than risk consuming something unsuitable for consumption.
Staying stocked up with fresh, high-quality chicken can make meal prep much simpler for the entire family. To extend its shelf life, be sure to place it in the coldest part of the refrigerator, never leaving it out on the counter for more than two hours at a time, or freeze it – in both cases be sure to label and date each individual package so you can track its history – typically frozen chicken will remain safe up to three months past its sell by date, especially when stored in small portions which help prevent freezer burn and makes defrost much quicker and simpler compared with larger volumes.
