Store meat products. That's how you do that!

With many products you do not have to adhere to the best-before date that accurately. For example, you can often safely drink fruit juice that is out of date because it has been heated. But with meat products it's a different story. Harmful bacteria quickly spread on meat products. To prevent disease and problems, it is therefore very important to store meat products properly.

But what is the best way to preserve meat products? Cold cuts are very perishable. The one a little more than the other. For example, you can keep dried meat products, such as salami, longer than cooked or cooked ham. In all cases it counts: if meat products are out of date, you can no longer eat them. Always put meat products back in the refrigerator quickly after use and do not leave it on the table during lunch, for example.

Refrigerator temperature

The most important thing is that the temperature of your refrigerator is right. Research by the Netherlands Nutrition Center shows that a quarter of the fridges in Dutch households are set too hot. These refrigerators are seven degrees or warmer. The ideal temperature to prevent meat from spoiling is four degrees. And it is best to store them directly above the vegetable drawer, the coldest place in the refrigerator. Meat products can have a TGT date or a best before date. Tgt stands for 'to use until'. You will find this abbreviation especially on highly perishable products that you have to keep in the refrigerator. The tgt date is the last date on which you can eat the product. Always throw away meat products after the TGT date, even if it still looks and tastes fine. The tgt date is the use-by date.

The best before date stands for 'best before'. You can find these on less perishable products that you do not have to keep in the fridge by far. The best before date is the date until which the manufacturer can guarantee good quality of the product concerned. Do not store meat products until after the best before date. You may still be able to eat it without taking much risk, but there is a chance that the taste, smell and color of the product will change. Research by the consumer association has shown that people should be careful with the expiration date of meat products. According to the union, there are serious health risks lurking. Their research showed that some meat products barely reached the best before date. The production method of meat products says a lot about shelf life. You can actually divide them into three groups: raw meat products, cooked and cooked meat products and the last group salted, dried and fermented meat products. Raw meat products, such as carpaccio and américain filet, cannot be stored for longer than two days after opening. Cooked and cooked meat products, such as luncheon meat and chicken fillet, keep well up to four days after opening. Salted, dried and fermented meat products, such as salami and smoked meat, can be kept for up to seven days after opening.

Sign up for our free newsletters and offers and immediately receive the free digital recipe book. You agree to our Privacy Terms. Leave this field blank