How long will vacuum sealed sausage last if not refrigerated?

Question

How long will vacuum sealed sausage last if not refrigerated? On the package, there's a statement indicating that, "the sausage needs to be refrigerated after it is opened". Does this statement imply that the sausage does not need to be refrigerated before opening? I'm assuming that this implication is valid. If this implication is valid, how long will the sausage last if the sausage is raw.

Answer 1

are you talking about summer sausage--like the kind you get from hickory farms---? they do not have to be refrigerated till opening--geez you buy them off a rack in the grocery store--not in the fridge! i do think they last 3 months without refrigeration...

Answer 2

Vacuum packing removes the air, preventing aerobic microbes and molds from growing but not all microbes are aerobic, many are anaerobic including the deadly botulism bacteria. If the vacuum packed food was then subjected to 250℉ heat then te botulism bacteria and spores would've been killed and the meat could last a long time but the meat would be cooked. This would be canning except in a bag instead of in a can or jar, it's called retort canning because the bags are a multilayed mylar and plastic designed to take the heat, not just the simple clear plastic bag. If the bag hasn't been heat processed then it should always be kept refrigerated to keep the botulism bacteria from growing.



Canned products, whether in tin cans, mason jars or retort bags that have been properly treated do not have a definite expiration but you are recommended to keep them no longer than 6 months to a year. They don't actually become bad but they degrade in nutrition and quality and may become unappealing. The canning process itself causes a 30% loss of nutrition, after which it loses 5% per year.



Not all canned products have been heat sterilized, it's common to seal dry foods with an oxygen absorber to absorb any oxygen remaining in the can, the lack of moisture should prevent the bacteria from growing. Moisture absorbers may also be packaged with dry foods. You've probably have seen these absorbers, they're the pouches marked "Do not eat" though someone always does.



If the sausage is really raw and vacuum sealed in a clear plastic bag then keep it refrigerated.

Answer 3

If it is smoked sausage, it is fine unopened, but once you open it you need to refrigerate.



Raw sausage would always need to be refrigerated.



Read the label and the packaging. It will say something like "fully cooked" or "smoked". Look for the "sell by" or "use by" date.



Raw sausage in the fridge will be good for 3 days. Left out on the counter, raw sausage would start to go bad in a few hours.

Answer 4

was it refrigerated in the store??

Does it have a best if used by date on the package?

Some vacuum packed perishable foods are NOT refrigerated at all; tuna is one I can think of.

If that sausage was on the shelf at the store, it won't need refrigeration until you open it.

If it was refrigerated in the store, it needs refrigeration now.

You are right though, usually that message on the package indicates it does not need refrigeration until AFTER it is open.

Like canned goods, some types of milk, etc.

Answer 5

Raw sausage? That's an invalid conclusion. The reverse of a true statement is not necessarily also true.

No, it needs to be refrigerated constantly. The bacteria present in the processing and packaging is not killed by the packaging. Also, the meat is not salty, sweet, or acidic enough to be inhospitable to bacterial growth. Above 40 the little buggers procreate and spoil more rapidly.

Answer 6

From what i know, any meat should be refrigerated, otherwise bacteria will inhibit the meat because bacteria lives on a warm temperature, it is hard for bacteria to survive on low temperature that is why we need to refrigerate it. So i suggest you , either you already open it or havent, its best to put it in the fridge



Ps. For vacuum sealed sausages, it can be put outside the fridge before opened because the bacteria doesnt have one of the basic needs to live (coz its vacuumed) but still its risky coz sometimes machine error can cause leaking and air can come in the sausage packaging, so its best to just put it in the fridge.

Answer 7

I would do exactly what the package label states. Store the sausage in the refrigerator after the package is opened. There are some shelf-stable meats available and based on what you posted your vacuum sealed sausage is one of them.

Answer 8

Summer Sausage Shelf Life

Answer 9

Hope it's a vegetarian sausage. To me, that statement implies that it does not need refrigeration until it's opened. But I've never seen any vegetarian sausages that don't need refrigeration and I imagine the same applies to meat sausages. If it was unrefrigerated when you bought it, I would say it will last unrefrigerated until at least the Best Before date. If it was refrigerated when you bought it, it will have to continue to be refrigerated.

Answer 10

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They would probably last several days depending on room temperature. They are all precooked, and airtight packed. It is recommended they are best kept chilled regardless of what is said. Judge by the way they are in a store, if they are stored in a chiller, then that is enough, Chetak

Answer 11

It still need to be refridgerated.