What's the "Use By" Date of the Chicken You Buy? - Page 2

mimomof4 · ‎03-08-2018

I refuse to buy the chicken that is obviously been pumped full of something to get plumped up. Instead I opt for the packages advertised as All Natural (I realize its an advertising ploy but it is smaller and tastes better) or organic.

What you describe is also why I won't order Meat through a Walmart order unless its ground turkey. I just don't trust others to pick out certain items. If I am ordering meat I want the store to have an actual butcher shop - Walmart does not have one.

I never pay attention to the Sell By date: When I buy chicken I either am cooking that day or putting right in the freezer

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@Kachina624 wrote:
Theres lots of good information online about "sell by" and "use by" dates on chicken.

https://northernyum.com/blog/chicken-sell-by-date/#:~:text=A%20use-by%20date%20is%20added%20by%20som...

@Kachina624 That's great and thanks, but I want to know what people are really getting in grocery stores now. I think that is a whole different deal now days.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@mimomof4 wrote:
I refuse to buy the chicken that is obviously been pumped full of something to get plumped up. Instead I opt for the packages advertised as All Natural (I realize its an advertising ploy but it is smaller and tastes better) or organic.

What you describe is also why I won't order Meat through a Walmart order unless its ground turkey. I just don't trust others to pick out certain items. If I am ordering meat I want the store to have an actual butcher shop - Walmart does not have one.

I never pay attention to the Sell By date: When I buy chicken I either am cooking that day or putting right in the freezer

@mimomof4 You live a different planet that I do! LOL!!!!! Yes we get a lot of the 97 percent white turkey breast, and so far, thank goodness,it has been fine.

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

@millieshops wrote:
I don't think the use by date tells us whether what we buy will be tender and sweet. I've had really tough chicken from several sources where I usually buy excellent products. I do expect the use by date to tell me how soon I need to use what I buy or at least get it into the freezer.

Sometimes even that doesn't work. A few months back at a local market which is known for excellence, I bought a factory sealed package of Bell and Evans chicken. Its use by date was 4 or 5 days later, but when I peeled a corner open that very day, the stench permeated the kitchen! If there's any thing uglier than rotten meat, I don't know what it is.

As for why some chicken is tough to the point of being inedible - I don't think that's something the butcher knows for sure, but I do believe the tough breasts I bought were also huge. Now I often buy chicken tenderloins. They've been very reliable every where so far.

@millieshops The horror of the supermarket. A customer decides she doesn't want a package of chicken she's put in her basket so she just places it on a shelf in the store where it may sit for hours until its discovered and put back in the refrigerated case. That's probably why your chicken smelled so rank.

My sister got food poisoning from a frozen dinner. I figured that's what happened in her case too.

Big, tough chickens are probably old birds.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

IGA chicken is usually dated 5 days out. I look for red stickers which mean one day before sell date, and either cook that day or wrap for the freezer.

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

@Nonametoday wrote:
I don't buy meat from Walmart. It's roosters, not chickens. Old, tough roosters. Not spring chickens.

@Nonametoday I buy meat from Wal-Mart all the time, mostly chicken, some pork and their very lean ground beef. I've never bought any that was unsatisfactory.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

spumoni99 · ‎02-16-2019

Costco has a strict throw away policy for those situations, as all stores should but probably dont.

I buy the frozen chicken tenderloins at costco the kirkland brand, I can thaw them in 20 minutes in water and they cook up quick and are always tender. I do miss chicken thighs or drumsticks at times and I buy foster farms, have always had luck with that brand.

Othereeeen · ‎03-13-2010

I buy chicken in Walmart all the time, and have NEVER had an issue with it.

I like dark meat only, and I buy the 10 pound bags of Purdue Leg/Thigh portions. There are about 10-13 sectiions in that bag. This is Purdue chicken NOT some un identified chicken in packages, but I've bought them too and never had an issue.

This week, in my Walmart, these ten pound bags were 7.72. Or 77 cents a pound.

the BEST protein source in the meat section....and, I LOVE chicken so lucky me!!

PreCovid, this package was 5.99 for ten pounds, or, 59 cents a pound.

The package is Purdues blue and gold colors, but your eyes can easily go right over that package in the meat case. Look next time you go if you like dark meat chicken.eating it right now, roasted, from the oven.!!!

I also buy drumsticks in Aldi. No name, but VERY large and always have been good.

I don't care if its a hen or a rooster it came from, as long as it tastes good when I eat it!

Answer to the OP question: Most packages are "use by" a few days out. I ALWAYS give the package a "sniff" because I DID one time have an oven stuffer from TOPS market that was bad ( like the previous poster had)...where it LOOKED ok in the package, but WOWEEE when I opened it!!

I threw it in the woods for the animals.

TOPS refunded my money no questions asked.

It happens. I'm 66, and I can count on five fingers the time I've gotten spoiled meat in a grocery store.

Today, stores have ALL your shopping data on file, and no store is going to argue with a regular customer over a return. they can see what you spend in their store, and can see IF you bought the product there too if you have no receipt.

I imagine if you did it every week, they'd say something, but in this country, thank goodness our food supply is well regulated for the most part.

For what it's worth, I don't eat white meat poultry because to me, it's ALWAYS tough, dry, tasteless and unless you drown it in sweet gloppy marinade or bread it, it's not very good.

in my opinion.

I WILL eat it in chicken or turkey salad, but there again, the mayo, grapes, walnuts that I add makes it palatable! the breast meat is just protein to me.

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

@mimomof4 wrote:
I refuse to buy the chicken that is obviously been pumped full of something to get plumped up. Instead I opt for the packages advertised as All Natural (I realize its an advertising ploy but it is smaller and tastes better) or organic.

What you describe is also why I won't order Meat through a Walmart order unless its ground turkey. I just don't trust others to pick out certain items. If I am ordering meat I want the store to have an actual butcher shop - Walmart does not have one.

I never pay attention to the Sell By date: When I buy chicken I either am cooking that day or putting right in the freezer

@mimomof4 I now by the 6 pound bags of flash frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts and breast tenders from Costco...Kirkland brand. They taste very good! They are a good value too. Pretty much stopped. Buying fresh chicken. No need to anymore.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@SeaMaiden wrote:
@mimomof4 wrote:
I refuse to buy the chicken that is obviously been pumped full of something to get plumped up. Instead I opt for the packages advertised as All Natural (I realize its an advertising ploy but it is smaller and tastes better) or organic.

What you describe is also why I won't order Meat through a Walmart order unless its ground turkey. I just don't trust others to pick out certain items. If I am ordering meat I want the store to have an actual butcher shop - Walmart does not have one.

I never pay attention to the Sell By date: When I buy chicken I either am cooking that day or putting right in the freezer
@mimomof4 I now by the 6 pound bags of flash frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts and breast tenders from Costco...Kirkland brand. They taste very good! They are a good value too. Pretty much stopped. Buying fresh chicken. No need to anymore.

@SeaMaiden You said what I'm thinking.