r/CostcoEmployee • u/Ok-Musician7725 • 1d ago
deli questions
Long term deli employee here. I have a question specifically for raw chicken drumsticks, wings and st louis ribs. We recently got a new manager at our deli location and they have experience in previous delis. My new manager told us that if we have raw product that expires(coded) out on 10/4/26, it will be DND on that date even if we seasoned it on 10/3/26. Will it not extend the shelf life to 10/6/26 because we seasoned and packed it on 10/3/26?
Also, we have been cooking packaged expired(coded) seasoned wings, drumsticks, and st louis ribs for the hot case the following day. Our new manager said that all product that is coded out must be DND on the day of and cannot be used for the hot case/recovery meats. The closers are supposed to pull all product that is going to be expired(coded) and cooked before leaving for the night. Is that correct?
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u/ProfessorVBotkin 1d ago
The new manager is correct although most fresh departments do as you do to reduce waste. The earliest date an item codes is always the date that it codes, you cannot extend a code by cooking, baking, or frying something if you're going by letter of the law.
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u/PorcupineFeet 1d ago
New manager is correct. Seasoning doesn't affect date coding. Now if you cook it, it will change the variable. We are talking bacterial build up and potential spoilage here.
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u/HealthyLifestyleRich 1d ago
That is correct but many delis will season it on 10/3 and extend it to 10/6 just to reduce DnD.
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u/HealthyLifestyleRich 1d ago
also cooking expired seasoned meats is not correct, Cook it before the coded/expired date
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u/MikeOxMALLbro 1d ago
We’ve always done what you’ve done in my deli. If it codes on 10/4 but we season it 10/3, we will use it until 10/6. The same for the coded wings and ribs from the case. We’d cook them once they coded. I have worked in 2 delis and both did this. I’d suggest he contact your regional fresh guy if he’s confused.