Meats cooked at home, wrapped tightly and refrigerated within two hours after cooking, should be used within three to four days or frozen for long safe storage.
Pre-packaged and store wrapped meat may be placed in the refrigerator in the original wrapper if the meat is to be used within the recommended storage time. By leaving meat in the original wrapper, bacteria growth can be limited by avoiding rehandling of the meat's surface.
Vacuum packaged meats keep best in their package before and after opening. Please refer to the "use" or "freeze by" dates for proper storage. Refrigerate 3-5 days after opening.
Storage temperature at meat markets, freshness of meat when purchased, care and time between market and "in-home" refrigeration, temperature of the home refrigerator and packaging are several factors affecting storage time.
