Is It Safe To Eat Chicken Past The 'Sell By' Date? - Tasting Table

While chicken packages and the FDA each have clear guidelines for when to buy your chicken and when to consume it, they don't exactly align with each other. The FDA advises consumers to purchase chicken before the sell-by date, but also states that "product guides aren't a guide for safe use of a product," and chicken should be eaten within two days of purchase if it's kept in the refrigerator — no matter what. To be on the safe side, you may want to throw your chicken out if you won't use it within a few days of buying it.

Regardless, it's a good idea to examine your chicken for signs it has gone bad before cooking it, which may include a color change (fresh chicken is light pink, while spoiled chicken may turn gray), an unappealing smell, or slime. And no matter if you're cooking your chicken the day you bought it or a few days later, make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before digging in, per CDC recommendations.

So, can you eat chicken past the sell-by date? It may be safe for an extra day or two, but make sure to check for any signs of spoilage before taking the risk.

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