Reduced for sale meat

[WendyisDarling]

Anyone else have an issue with this?

I have often read on here of ppl who buy the meat that is marked for quick sale. Yesterday I decided to give it a try. I bought some drumsticks. They marked 1/2 price and the sell by date was yesterday. I cooked them last night along with some fresh chicken breasts. I did not tell anyone the drumsticks were reduced to sell.
My oldest ate a chicken breast but not a drumstick (he took one bite). I asked him why and he said "I don't know, the meat just tastes kind of weird" . I noticed my younger DS who had two drumsticks ate only a couple of bites and left the rest. I am not a dark meat fan, so I wasn't planning to try it. After DS said it had a weird taste, I couldn't bring myself to taste it and just threw it away.

The chicken looked fine. It didn't have any sort of unusual smell. My kids aren't that picky of eaters (esp. when it comes to fried chicken, which is a favorite but I rarely make. It was a special back to school dinner.)

I'm sure many will say they have had great success and I don't doubt it. But, have others had bad experiences like this? Was this a complete fluke? It seems I remember some sort of news expose on meat depts. changing dates on the packaging from years ago.

I was just disappointed that my "money saver" ended up being filler for the trash. But, I am glad that no one got sick.

 

[Todd&Copper]

I've never had any problems with meat I've purchased "reduced for quick sale." I always either cook it that day or freeze it immediately. I've even bought fish that was reduced for quick sale and never got a bad batch. No funny taste, no trots, no discomfort.


Personally, it has been a LOOOOOOOOOONG time since I have eaten a drumstick and they would probably taste weird to me now anyway. I always thought they were kind of nasty.

 

[mountdew1]

I buy it whenever I see stuff I know we will use, or when we it works with one of regular meal options. I have never had a problem with it. Bought it from at least 3 different chains of grocery stores and a wholesale club, probably 10 different stores altogether, and never had a problem with it. I either use it that day, or freeze it as soon as we get home.

 

[megthewonderful]

I buy reduced meat often. I always cook it that day or freeze it immediately. Never had any complaints. It's a great way for us to have meat for dinner and save $.

 

[winnapooh]

I have had issues buying reduced meat, but only from one particular store. I would say try another store before you give up buying it. In my case, I just know which stores I can trust it from, and which I can't.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

yeah, I have done it a couple of times and have never had an issue with the product.

 

[penn19]

I am right there with you. I bought 3 packs of "reduced for quick sale" chicken last week from Kroger. I don't normally buy my meat from there anyway because it isn't packaged very nice. But I bought it, and I think maybe it was a little drippy anyway so that threw me off. But when I took it out to cook (all 3 packs) the smell of the one made me gag. I threw it right in the trash. I wasn't even going to be bothered taking it back.

I think the next time I do that I will look real hard at it to determine if its worth the risk.

 

[kellyg403]

I often buy reduced beef but I don't buy reduced pork or chicken. I worry too much about it being slightly off...just me. However, that being said I have had beef that is slightly off in smell too so, I think it can be the store or just something that happened with that particular package. For the most part I feel comfortable buying reduced beef anytime and either cooking that night or freezing immediately. I just can't bring myself to do that with chicken or pork. A little OCD I am sure but I don't want to take the chance.

Kelly

 

[My2BabiesLexis&Dill]

I am right there with you. I bought 3 packs of "reduced for quick sale" chicken last week from Kroger. I don't normally buy my meat from there anyway because it isn't packaged very nice. But I bought it, and I think maybe it was a little drippy anyway so that threw me off. But when I took it out to cook (all 3 packs) the smell of the one made me gag. I threw it right in the trash. I wasn't even going to be bothered taking it back.

I think the next time I do that I will look real hard at it to determine if its worth the risk.

Even though Kroger is one of my favorite stores to shop at, I do NOT buy any of their reduced meat. Everytime I look at it, it is just plain nasty looking. I.E..color of the meat...

But I do buy meat that is marked down at Food Lion and Martins and haven't had a problem with their meats.

 

[CherylA]

If you're buying a larger cut of beef it really doesn't matter, poulty I don't know but beef is aged anyway, it's not fresh so whats the difference!

 

[Crystal0608]

Most of the time I buy reduced price meat & usually shop at Food Lion. I usually freeze most of my meat anyways if I'm not going to cook it that day and I've never had a problem with taste or smell.

 

[DMickey28]

I am very OCD about chicken so I wouldn't do it with chicken but other meats I will. I notice our stores have reduced meats usually still a few day away from their sell by date.

I have some pork ribs in the freezer that i am thinking about making tonight but I know they were stuffed in there last minute so I am a bit worried!!!!

 

[SILLYANDI]

I buy reduced beef all the time (people pay good money for aged beef, I get mine at 1/2 the price! ), I have only bought chicken a few times. Chicken is already shady as far as being easily contaminated and to me buying it frozen in a bag from Sam's is the easiest way to keep from cross contaminating things in the fridge, etc. My weird nerosis...

 

[bookgirl]

I usually have no problem but about 3 weeks ago I got a package of thin sliced beef and the pieces on top were okay but underneath they were a funny color, and I don't mean that brown color that meat will turn, I mean grey/green. I just chalked that one up to a bad batch, like when you buy lettuce or produce that turns within a day.

I wouldn't have any problem buying it again, but then I try to check anything I buy pretty close.

 

[kydisneyfans]

I have bought reduced meat in the past, and other than some ground beef, it has been fine.

I have found though that reduced meat is rarely under reglar sale price. Now when meat is on sale, I buy a few extra packs and throw it in the freezer, eliminating the freshness question.

 

[carmie3377]

I buy reduced meat all the time. It's either got to be on sale (advertised special) or reduced for quick sale for me to buy it. Now, if it's a funny color, I won't buy it, but usually it looks just like the newer packs. Anyway, I either use that day or freeze immediately and have never had an issue. In fact, I pulled some fajita meat from the freezer that was reduced and had been frozen for several weeks. It was just fine. We bought 1/2 cow several years ago. The meat market told us that if it is properly frozen and not thawed out and refroze, meat will last a year in the freezer.

 

[kadesha]

I buy it all the time and have never had any bad experiences with it. I am extra cautious though and check it out and smell it before cooking. I also am always the first person to taste.

 

[JuneCleaver]

I have a freezer full of reduced meat. I have been doing it for about 18 yrs. I am very careful with what I buy !

The butcher at the local grocery knows me now...and if he sees me digging through the stack, will often give me a deal...marking the 50% off stuff down to 75% if I take it all. I scored 25lbs of burger for $10 that way a few weeks ago.

I don't buy any reduced fish...that I am very careful about and I inspect the package carefully as well as the date.

Currently I have about 6-9 months of meat in the freezer and I would guess that 90% of it has a reduced sticker on it. One of my favorite days of the year to troll the meat case is the Sat. or Sunday after Thanksgiving...so many people have bought turkeys and are eating leftovers that a majority of the meat ends up in the clearance pile!

No matter what I go to the grocery store to buy, I check out the meat bin. Often I end up coming home with a great deal for the freezer when I have just run in for milk or bread.

June

 

[madge]

I buy reduced meat fairly regularly - I'm very careful about what I choose, though. Like others, I pass on chicken and pork. I stock up on those when they're on sale. I know 2 of the butchers at our store, and they'll often point out when they've done a markdown on steaks.

I find that I get some of the best deals & choices within a few days of a holiday, especially steaks in the summer (Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day) and roasts in the winter.

 

[carmie3377]

Currently I have about 6-9 months of meat in the freezer and I would guess that 90% of it has a reduced sticker on it. One of my favorite days of the year to troll the meat case is the Sat. or Sunday after Thanksgiving...so many people have bought turkeys and are eating leftovers that a majority of the meat ends up in the clearance pile!

No matter what I go to the grocery store to buy, I check out the meat bin. Often I end up coming home with a great deal for the freezer when I have just run in for milk or bread.

June

Now, I've never had that much stocked up at one time, but at times I have had about 3 months worths of reduced meat in the freezer. Since the tropics are so active right now, I've stopped stocking up and will start back once we are out of hurricane season. During Katrina, I lost a freezer full of food. Now, we don't live in NO anymore, or I probably would have lost food again this last week. However, we still live on the Gulf Coast so we are in a very vulnerable area.

Up until recently though, I would always check out the meat bins to see what was reduced and always come home with meat even if I wasn't even shopping for meat. Now, I don't even look unless I need something because I don't want those low prices to tempt me.