Expert: Carol Schlitt - 7/6/2006

Question
Is it safe to eat beef (any meat) that has complete or part freezer burn?  Is there a time limit on frozen beef?

Answer
Hi Jan,

Freezer burn is not unsafe to eat -- only untasty.

The recommended time for beef is as low as 2-3 months for ground meat and up to 1 year for roasts. After the recommended time period, the quality goes down.  However, as long as meat is constantly frozen it is safe to eat. The recommendations for maximum freezer time is based on quality -- not safety. Also the colder the freezer, the longer the meat will stay at higher quality.

University of Illinois Extension has a brand new website devoted entirely to meat safety.  Here's a good reference on length of time for foods in the freezer you may want to bookmark on your computer:  http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/meatsafety/storing/freezer.html

Please let me know if you have further questions.

Carol C. Schlitt
Extension Educator, Nutrition and Wellness
University of Illinois Extension