Mince best before

psalliss

psalliss

psalliss

Associate
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
2,243
Location
lancaster
Stupid question. I've got some mince that I was going to use for a spag Bol tonight but just realised that best before was yesterday. It should still be fine tonight shouldn't it?
 
Had to google what rouge was. Ha. Looks more red than purple and doesn't seem to smell. Fridge is set a bit to cold at 3 degrees as well,
.
 
I don't use mince if it has a whiff of cheese/yoghurt about it. Don't know why or what it is, but I can't bring myself to eat it.
 
hyperseven said:
is it still pinky red in colour or has it turned to a dark rouge, bordering on brown? If the latter, bin it.
Click to expand...

Why bin it if it is turning brown? All red meat goes brown after oxidisation, so it's pretty normal. If it smells bad then bin it, but if it isn't pink or red, and smells like beef should it's absolutely perfect. These days we're far too cautious when it comes to raw red meat. It's borderline wasteful.
 
CHokKA said:
Why bin it if it is turning brown? All red meat goes brown after oxidisation, so it's pretty normal. If it smells bad then bin it, but if it isn't pink or red, and smells like beef should it's absolutely perfect. These days we're far too cautious when it comes to raw red meat. It's borderline wasteful.
Click to expand...

Not worth being ill for the sake of a few pounds, is it?

On the brown bit, why does it then stay pinky red on the butchers counter which is open to air.
 
Last edited:
open the pack, leave it a minute and then smell it. Freshly opened packs of even the freshest meat can smell strange. Let it breath for a few seconds and then make a judgement.

I am sure in this case it will be fine. One day past the "best before" is not going to be a problem if it has been stored correctly
 
Okay doke, still wont eat it.

But learned something new :D

When freshly slaughtered meat is cut into steaks, the muscle tissue comes into contact with oxygen in the air.

The myoglobin in the meat binds this oxygen, forming oxymyoglobin and giving the meat a red color.

However, if fresh meat sits for a period of time, generally over the course of several days, the structure of the myoglobin changes. The iron molecule in the middle is oxidized from its ferrous to ferric form and a different complex is formed called metmyoglobin. This compound turns the raw meat a brown color.

The meat is usually still safe to eat when cooked, but the brown, unappealing color turns off most consumers.

To avoid having your fresh meat turn brown, use it as soon as possible after purchasing it
Click to expand...

Bold = that's me :D
 
hyperseven said:
Not worth being ill for the sake of a few pounds, is it?

On the brown bit, why does it then stay pinky red on the butchers counter which is open to air.
Click to expand...

You won't be ill if you've stored it properly and the meat doesn't smell bad when you open it. Dates on the packaging in supermarkets err very much on the side of caution. You can easily go a day or two past that without any issues whatsoever. Use your nose. If it smells off then it is. Fresh meat has a distinct smell. It's sad when people throw meat out that's just a day or two out of date without actually checking it properly first. We waste so much just because of a date on things.

Also, the butcher I buy from sells beef cuts that have been aged for a minimum of 21 days, so very little that's there is actually crimson red. Only the steak mince is crimson red, the whole cuts (fore ribs in particular) are a lovely dark colour which means they taste beautiful when you cook them properly :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom