I know “use by” and “best by” dates aren’t set in stone- it’s okay to drink milk a day or 2 past the expiration date- but let’s pretend for a minute that they are set and definite.
Let’s say I buy a package of steaks on July 1 and the expiration date is July 15. I put them in the freezer as soon as I get home, and leave them there until August 1st. Is the expiration now August 15? Or do I need to use them as quickly as possible?
I’m not potentially going to expose myself to foodborne illnesses, it’s just a question that’s sat in the back of my mind for a while.
In: Other
No, of course not.
Foods spoil because of the action of tiny living organisms called “bacteria” along with yeasts and molds. Some of those bacteria are dangerous to humans directly while many others are relatively benign. What is dangerous is the byproducts of their living and reproducing; in other words, their “poop”. The waste products they produce are poisonous to humans, in many cases augmented by the bacteria having evolved to excrete such wastes as a way to prevent other kinds of bacteria competing with them.
So food poisoning is literally that, poisoned food, and frozen poison is still poison. Furthermore as the bacteria reproduce their population and speed of poison production will increase, and freezing will not kill them. Once the food thaws back out they will start back up where they left off.
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