Exact Answer: Up To 3 Weeks
Pepperoni is a popular food product used as a popular pizza topping in different parts of the world. Pork and Beef mixed with spices and flavorings are used in making Pepperoni. To prevent the growth of unwanted microorganisms, salt and sodium nitrate are used as curing agents. Nitrate is also used to give color to Pepperoni.
Pork and Beef trimmings are primarily used in making Pepperoni. Pork and Beef trimmings are fat with a minute amount of meat attached. These trimmings are blended with salt and paprika through grinding, chopping, and mixing. Pepperoni is soft, smoky, and red in color.
How Long Does Pepperoni Last?
Pepperoni is very soft and is produced by an artificial casing. It is made up of more refined pieces of grain and falls under a cured dry sausage. It is curing with nitrates, resulting in heme’s reaction in the myoglobin of meat’s proteinaceous component, which gives a delicate bright red color to Pepperoni. Pepperoni is one of the most critical components used in Pizza worldwide and is a trendy topping globally. Pepperoni is also widely used in making a Pepperoni Roll.
Pepperoni is also used as fillings in sandwiches. Pepperoni Stick or Pepperoni Sausage is also very popular with food lovers. Generally, Pepperoni stick or sausage comes wrapped in a natural casing. Since the meat is cured by preservatives such as nitrates, there is no need to put unopened packages in a refrigerator. It is widely advised to keep them in a cool and dry place. However, if the label suggests, then it is needed to put the package in a refrigerator. Once the package is opened, the leftovers should be put inside a refrigerator wrapped with an aluminum foil or plastic cover.
| Package Of Pepperoni | Best For Use |
| Opened | Up to 3 weeks |
| Unopened | Up to 6 weeks |
An unopened package of Pepperoni, when stored in a cool and dry place, is best for use for up to 6 weeks. However, if the package is opened, Pepperoni slowly starts to degrade and can be consumed anytime for up to 3 weeks.
Why Does Pepperoni Last That Long?
As Pepperoni is widely used as a topping, it must remain fresh for a few days. Travelers also use pepperoni as a food package as it is not possible to carry a lot of food while traveling. Since Pepperoni is a cured meat type, it has a longer shelf life than any other average sausage. Sliced pieces of Pepperoni last more longer as it is pretty easy to preserve sliced pieces than a whole sausage. Pepperoni also contains quite a bit of meat which takes its own time to break down.
Sliced pieces of Pepperoni become slim as time passes by. Also, an unpleasant odor coming from the package indicates that the Pepperoni package has most probably degraded and is unhealthy to eat. Preserved Meats take on an acrid smell as soon as they start spoiling. A straightforward way to check whether Pepperoni is healthy for eating is by cutting a small slice and taste it. If the portion is sour, it is clear that Pepperoni has gone wrong and is not fit for eating.
Eating spoiled Pepperoni is very hazardous for health. It can lead to food poisoning, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and body pain. It is wise to consume the entire package before the use-by date, although it is good to eat even a few days after the prescribed date. If the meat becomes very sticky, then it is an indication that the Pepperoni has dried out. But dried sausages can also be used by just cutting off the dried part.
Conclusion
Finally, it can be concluded that Pepperoni is a food product loved by people worldwide. However, being a food commodity, it is always a good habit to go through the expiry date prescribed on the package of Pepperoni. Pork and Beef are the two main constituents of Pepperoni.
On average, unopened packages of Pepperoni should be used within six weeks. Simultaneously, the opened package should be refrigerated as soon as it is opened and consumed within three weeks. There are multiple ways of detecting whether Pepperoni is good to use or not, which includes slices of it becoming slim, lousy odor, and portions of Pepperoni drying out.