Any cut with a bone e.g. T Bone, Lamb Chops or Rib on the Bone; we recommend storage in a reliable fridge operating with consistent operating temperature of 0°C to 4°C for no more than 5 days. The reason for this is that when bone is cut it releases bone dust and enzymes that come into contact with bacteria. Bacteria start the breaking down process and are very temperature sensitive.

Chicken, Veal and Pork are more fickle meats with shorter shelf lives, so we recommend 3 to 4 days stored at a consistent temperature of 0°C – 4°C or freeze for longer shelf life. The same is recommended for Diced and Minced meats due to the extra handling involved in processing. Beef and Lamb products will generally have an extra one or two day’s life due to being less fickle.

Non-boned meats e.g. Rump, Porterhouse and Scotch; we recommend up to two weeks or possibly more depending on the pre - ageing of the product. If the primal cuts are portioned it will reduce the life due to the portioning process. Time can also be reduced by the amount of ageing given to the product prior to being portioned or sent to the customer.

For additional life span or when going camping, etc, ask the Butcher to cryovac the meat for you and it will generally give you an additional 2-4 days on boned product and up to 2 weeks on fresh products.

Gas Flushing is sometimes used to extend the life expectancy of fresh meats by totally removing the oxygen and replacing it with Carbon Dioxide or Nitrogen. This process is great for sausages and can extend shelf life by up to 4 weeks.

This process is unpredictable however, as often Oxygen is still used to maintain the bloom (colour) of the meat and this will reduce the shelf life considerably.

Another process often used by advanced meat wholesalers is thermoforming, this process is similar to cryovacing and the shelf life will be marginally less than that expected from cryovaced product.

As meat packaging technology has advanced, it has become more and more complicated. It is best to ask your supplier for their advice as shelf life will change dramatically when different technology is used or storage temperatures vary from the range of 0°C – 4°C.

Often restaurant quality meats are wet aged (in the cryovac) or dry aged (on the bone) and this process will dramatically reduce shelf life. In extreme cases, the shelf life of product that has been aged for maximum eating quality, will have a shelf life of only a few hours.