'I'm a doctor - this is how long you can keep frozen food before it loses its taste and nutritional value’
An NHS doctor has shared some surprising information about food that’s been kept in the freezer, even if its expiry date has passed. Dr Karan Rajan gave his advice after seeing a video of a man questioning his mum’s decision to eat frozen food which has been in the freezer for over a year past the expiry date.
In a recent TikTok, Dr Karan answered this question from @mrburgies. @mrburgies wrote: “Guys, my mom wants me to eat this food that expired a very long time ago and she says it’s okay because it’s frozen… should I eat it?”
Holding a collection of frozen food, Dr Karan explained: “This will surprise most people. Frozen food technically never expires.
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“When it comes to frozen food, these best before dates and expiry dates are more about the food quality not food safety. So as long as the food stays frozen, it’s safe. But that doesn’t mean frozen food stays tasty forever.”
Dr Karan explained that the longer food stays frozen in the freezer, the more likely it is to be affected by “freezer burn”. This happens when food is exposed to cold, dry air, which causes them to dehydrate as the outer layers lose moisture.
You can tell when this occurs by the forming of ice crystals on the outside of food, according to Whirlpool. Improper packaging or temperature, and sometimes too long in the freezer, are the most common culprits that lead to freezer burn.
Dr Karan said: “Oxidation occurs so the food that’s frozen a long time can lack flavour. The actual texture of the food can degrade, think tough, dry meat and limp vegetables when cooked. Eventually over a long period of time these can lose their nutritional value as well.”
To avoid food getting freezer burn, the doctor suggested freezing food in a vacuum sealed container, or by squeezing out as much air as you can from the container, such as a sandwich bag. Dr Karan said that’s why it’s better to store food in freezer bags rather than stiff, solid containers.
To go even further, Dr Karan recommended labelling and dating each bag of freezer food so you can keep track of storage times, and to keep freezers below 0℃. He continued: “What’s more important than best before dates when it comes to frozen food is practicing safe food handling, so that means storing it properly and also making sure you store it properly and cook it thoroughly when it comes out.
There are a number of foods which should be eaten within a certain time frame. Healthline listed these foods to watch out for if they’re frozen.
Fruits and vegetables- eight to 12 months
Raw eggs (not in shell) - 12 months
Casseroles and TV dinners - three to four months
Raw or ground beef and pork three to four months
Whole chicken or turkey - 12 months
Cured or processed meat (bacon, sausage)- one to two months
Cooked fish - four to six months
Raw steaks or roasts - four to 12 months
