Beef Storage & Handling Guidelines

Beef should be chilled immediately after it is received. Since meat freezes at 28 degrees F and microbial growth increases rapidly above 40 degrees F, it should be stored between 28 degrees F and 32 degrees F.

• Beef should never be held at temperatures above 40 degrees F for more than 2 hours because as bacteria grow, beef quality deteriorates rapidly.
  
• Unopened vacuum-packaged beef usually has 16 plus days of storage life from the time of packaging.
  
• Storage life decreases to 3 to 5 days for whole muscle beef and 2 to 3 days for ground beef once the package is opened.
  

Frozen Beef
When beef is being frozen, the rule of thumb is "the faster the better."

• When beef is frozen quickly, small ice crystals are formed.
  
• Slow freezing produces larger crystals. Large ice crystals tend to rupture the muscle tissues and allow water and nutrients to drip out when the beef is defrosted, causing excessive purge which results in a tougher cut of meat.
  
• It is also important to remove air from the package prior to freezing and to use packaging material appropriate for freezer storage to prevent freezer burn.

Beef frozen by the packer or processor results in a high quality product because it is generally frozen quickly at very low temperatures. Beef frozen in this manner has less opportunity for structural changes to occur than beef that is shipped fresh and frozen later.

Beef is commercially frozen at -50 degrees F. Once beef is frozen the ideal storage temperature is zero degrees F or lower. Frozen beef should be defrosted at refrigerator temperatures for 15 to 24 hours. Beef should never be defrosted at room temperature or in warm water. If there's not enough time to properly defrost the beef, it can be defrosted in a microwave oven and cooked immediately.