Can You Eat Frozen Meat That Has Expired?

It's pretty easy to forget about meat that's tucked away in the back of your freezer. With busy schedules and regular grocery shopping, some items can be overlooked for weeks or even months when they're out of sight, and thus out of mind. So when you finally happen upon that ground beef behind the peas, for instance, you might be asking yourself: Can you eat frozen meat that has expired?

To answer this question properly, you first must define exactly what "expired" means when it comes to frozen meat. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), product dating is not required by federal regulation for any items other than infant formula. The expiration dates that you see on meat packaging and other food are voluntarily put there by the manufacturers and are indicators of quality, not safety. For example, "Best If Used By" or "Best Before" labels describe the final date in which the product is considered to be at peak quality; the date has nothing to do with your well-being.

That said, the USDA has general guidelines in place for freezer storage, even though it specifies on its website that "freezing keeps food safe almost indefinitely." Uncooked roasts, steaks, or chops are still considered to be good quality when stored in the freezer for up to 12 months, while uncooked ground meat has a shorter span of three to four months. For leftover cooked meat, you can comfortably freeze it for up to two or three months.

Although there is no definitive cutoff date for eating meat that was frozen, there are some obvious signs to look for to determine whether it's a good idea to do so. It's less about safety and more about the taste, texture, and quality. The most common indication that something has been sitting in the freezer for too long is the presence of freezer burn. The clearest signs that your food is freezer burnt are the ice crystals that form when moisture escapes from it. Freezer-burnt food is technically edible, but it probably won't taste very good once thawed and cooked (think dry, stale, and bland). On a positive note, you can prevent freezer-burnt food with this storage tip.

You can also rely on your senses to tell whether frozen meat has gone bad. If your protein has taken on a brownish-gray color, it has probably been exposed to air, and the resulting texture will be less than ideal when cooked. Similarly, if you go to pull something from the freezer and notice it has a funky smell, you're better off tossing it.