Are these safe to eat?

[fjord]

I need to defrost my freezer and as such am eating all the stuff that's been in there for ages.

I found some kippers that have been in there for about 12 months. The packet says eat within 1 month from frozen but that's gotta be a load of crap right? They're in a tight vacuum wrapped pack and have been frozen since day one.

I also found two bags of frozen chicken tikka strips. One has an expiry date of May 2011 and the other is October 2011. These are also in a tight vacuum wrapped pack and have been frozen since day one.

I ate bacon before which has been frozen for about 7 months and haven't died yet so im guessing it will be ok?

I hate throwing out food, and dont want to do it for the sake of some fart sniffing beta who needs dates on his food packets.

[GrumpyTwig]

Eat them....






If you die you can't tell me I'm wrong

[shoggoth1]

As long as the freezer has been at -18C then there should be no problem - I've had fish that's been in the freezer for well over a year - bacteria cannot grow at that temperature. The problem is the ice crystals that form in long term frozen food, they destroy its structure, and when you come to defrost/cook it can turn to 'mush' - but not harmful.

[Mobile Chicane]

I once ate a seafood risotto made from crabsticks which had been in the freezer for seven years It tasted ok, and I'm still here.

Meat doesn't want to be kept for too long as the fat content goes rancid. But even so, it will just taste stale rather than do you any harm. I'd still use it in a curry or a chilli.

Waste not, want not and all that

[grumbledoak]

Not so sure about the chicken tikka strips, I'd maybe bin them. But nothing can live in kipper at any temperature, that's fine to eat until the Heat Death of the Universe.