Storing lamb shanks [duplicate]

I had some organic lamb shanks in the fridge. I forgot to freeze them by the "use or freeze by" date. It's 5 days past the date. Are they still good?

food-safety food-preservation

Best Answer

You should be able to tell by smell and texture. If it's slimy or smells a bit off then I'd get rid of it. Even looking at it, you may see spots or molding.

Best by date is a good standard to go by. However, it is not "always" correct. In my opinion, give or take a day or two. Getting close to that date I always double check. But if the packers did a prestine job then it's possible to get an extra day or two out of it, but why risk it if possible.

Another thing to consider is how long it may have been out of refrigeration, that directly correlates to how much time left you have before it spoils. And that's why I like the give or take rule I mentioned above, whether it's from my usage or the packers.