Shelf life of refrigerated cryovac meats
 

Just a general question....

When I buy meats in cryovac at a Costco or Restaurant Depot they generally do not have the typical "sell by date" seen on packaged meats that you would see at a grocery store... My limited knowledge tells me that meat in cryovac can stay fresher longer...

How many days in advance would you feel comfortable storing cryovac packaged meat in a cold refrigerator before opening up to use it hoping that it will be fresh when opened ?

Here's some info on aging brisket:
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...=aging+brisket

Thanks Kevin... I recall that... but I'm not looking to age the meat...

Just looking to get a rough estimate on how long it can stay in the fridge from the date I buy it to the date I use it as is,out of the package.

According to Servsafe rules, 7 days for cooked food if the food is kept at the proper temp. Nothing in the rules that I remember for uncooked. BBQJoe?

Vinny,

I asked that same question a while back, and there was limited discussion/knwledge of it at the time, but FWIW here is the link to it (specific question and discussion beginning with post #16):

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=13627

As far as I can recall there is no rule on how long fresh meat can be refrigerated before it must be tossed.

This is probably due to all the different types of processing and packaging methods.

Some meats are aged so long, that mold actually grows on it, and it is cut off just like they do with cheese.

Bacon and corned beef might last forever.

Cryovaced (Sic) meat is supposed to be free of oxygen, therefore it is harder for the meat to oxidize and break down, and it is also hard for bacteria to grow.

I know that a week in the fridge is generally no problem with cryo'd brisket.

The best advice would be to use your senses. Smell, and sight.

From
http://www.foodsafetysummit.com/cont...R/2004/02&p=11

"By selling products in low-oxygen packages — which often have a shelf life of between 21 to 30 days, depending on the product—and high-oxygen packages—with a typical shelf life of between 10 and 15 days—retailers can display meat and poultry longer and thus reduce shrinkage.Store-cut meat typically has a three-day shelf life."

Now that is an interesting statement. And I agree with it. We've used nitrogen (as it displaces oxygen, thus retarding oxydation) in the electronics industry for many years. If it's good enough to keep my gold wire from rusting, it's good enough for me to eat. Yes, fresh is better but, reality dictates some common sense.

I don't know if this information is 100% correct, but the health inspector told me the other day that the environmental packaging ( Nitrogen or co2) Was going to be outlawed. Like what they do at wallies.

thanks for all the info..

Still not sure why there's no law requiring the packaged on date to be labeled on the cryo'd meats...

In NY, if you buy meat from a retail establishment, they are required to date cyrovaced meat. The retail store, Stop and Shop, your butcher etc, is required to date it based upon when they purchased it.

If you bought your meat from say Restaurant Depot, it is considered a wholesale establishment and they are not required.

Here's some of the rules about pork....

Some very good info there, Thanks Robert!

Vinny,

Before I went on vacation on 8/5, I picked up a cryo-vac 3 pak of ribs at Costco. I asked the guy behind the glass if it had been frozen and thawed when placed out. He said that they had not been frozen and they would keep for a month is refrigerated. Being the sceptic I am, I placed them in the freezer 'till I get to them. Yea I know, I don't know why I bought them then...

I'd trust beef to last awhile. But never pork. I don't care how well it's packaged it doesn't last long in the fridge.

Thanks for the info BQ - I'm hoping they are referring to frozen meat in that excerpt when it mentions being stored in a refrigerated warehouse up to 24 months !!

Ever since my "fishy ribs" last month at Grill Kings that I'm chalking up to a bad batch.... it's been screwing with my head...

I'll be off to Restaurant Depot & Costco tomorrow evening to pick up my contest meats for this weekend... I'm keeping em in the back of my fridge with the temps lowered with my fingers are crossed that everything is fresh come prep time when they come out of the coolers....