I've just bashed up a Cottage pie for dinner tonight.  While clearing up I noticed the use by date on the mince beef was 18.9.09, 4 days ago.

It looked ok, and I didn't notice any obvious smell so I'm hoping it will be alright.

Will it be safe to eat, or do you think I should just bin it?

I need some sound advice on this one;0

Thanks

C

Depends how you kept it, if it's been outside in the sun then no :)

If it doesn't smell has not turned green and you've kept it in the fridge, then it should be safe to eat as long as it's cooked properly

Ditto if its kept in the firidge and smells ok fine. a bit of any whiff or greyish in colour I would bin it.

Yes it's been kept in the fridge.  I didn't realise it was out of date til after I'd cooked it.  The colour was fine, and I didn't notice a smell, but then again, I thought I was cooking fresh mince and wasn't really looking at it or sniffing it. 

I've just put the mash on the top and am hoping for the best!

Let someone else taste it first - if they turn green don't eat any :-D :-D  I find my OH useful for this task :rofl:

Better than the dog trying it first I think!!

I've just binned it. 

Decided I couldn't risk it, Hubby has to fly to Glasgow on Thursday for an important Company thing, and I couldn't let him eat it if it might make him ill.  He has a dodgy digestion anyway.

Sausages for tea now!

Shame you binned it......
It wouln't have worried me at all.
Had there been something obvious then maybe...but nah...should have been fine!

Karen

I googled 'out of date mince'   (Big mistake, I know - like looking in a medical encyclopedia)

Almost every comment was that you shouldn't eat out of date mince, something to do with the broken surface area containing more bacteria.

Then I though better safe than sorry!

Meat and dairy are just about the only things that i look at the sell-by date on .I definately wouldn't have eaten it !!!

I read somewhere once but dont ask me where, that use by date just means the time that the food will have the best taste and flavours, it doesnt actually mean you cant eat it,(obviously with exception to some foods)  im sure some man on the telly did a documentry on it where over two weeks he ate out of date food and by the second week he was eating food two week out of date, it was revealled that supermarkets have a lot to do with the dates as it make consumers buy more food.

I do use everything by the Use By date (not so concerned about the Sell by obviously).

I realise it may not all be "off" but food poisoning is horrible and just not worth it.

I gather we can't always see if it's off, or smell it. That's what I've heard, not sure how true it is.

L

Yes I saw that programme too, Bernesebaby. At the end of it, the stuff he was eating was vile, meat had turned an odd colour etc but he was fine, not a moments sickness.  It was just the people watching it that were a bit billious :)

yes, his wife wouldnt eat it she said some of the food he was eating really smelt, makes you feel sick thinking of it.

It is confusing, but a "use by" means the food should not be eaten after that date as it may be spoiled.  A "best by" date means the food is okay, but the flavour/appearance may not be as good.